Authorities reported four deaths and three liver transplants from death cap mushroom poisonings in California. The cases totaled more than three dozen since November 18. Victims ranged from 19 months to 67 years old. Many required intensive care unit admission.
Weather Conditions Boost Mushroom Growth
Heavy rains and warm fall temperatures triggered a super bloom of death cap mushrooms. These fungi, known as Amanita phalloides, appeared in city parks, forests, and under oak trees across Northern California and the Central Coast. Clusters emerged in Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas.
Craig Smollin, medical director for the San Francisco Division of the California Poison Control System, highlighted the unusual scale. Smollin stated, “The main thing this year is just the magnitude, the number of people ingesting this mushroom… Having almost 40 is very unusual.”
Experts Warn Against Foraging
The California Department of Public Health urged residents to avoid picking or eating wild mushrooms. Officials expanded warnings in Spanish, Mixteco, and Mandarin Chinese. They noted that death caps resembled safe varieties and remained toxic even when cooked.
Additionally, Smollin emphasized identification challenges. He said, “Unless you’re an expert who studies mushrooms it can be very difficult to know.” Symptoms included stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea within 24 hours. Liver damage often followed in two to three days.
Family Incident Illustrates Risks
A family in Salinas gathered mushrooms that looked like safe ones from Oaxaca, Mexico. Laura Marcelino, a 36-year-old resident, and her husband ate them in soup. They felt dizzy and tired before vomiting. Marcelino spent five days in the hospital. Her husband required a liver transplant. Their children avoided the meal.
Meanwhile over 60 percent of poisoned individuals spoke Spanish as their primary language. Officials advised buying mushrooms from trusted sources and keeping children and pets away from growth areas.
The outbreak underscored dangers of amatoxin poisoning. Health experts stressed immediate medical care for suspected ingestion.
