These mushrooms are awfully pretty – and awfully deadly

Recent rains may have given rise to a new crop of wild mushrooms that can be poisonous and potentially deadly, if eaten.

“Telling the difference between wild mushrooms that are safe and those that are poisonous can be difficult for many people,” said Dr. Karen Smith, public health officer for California. “Wild mushrooms should not be eaten unless they have been examined by a mushroom expert and determined to be edible.”

Eating wild mushrooms typically has been known to cause liver damage. One mushroom that has been linked to such damage is Amanita phalloides, also known as the “death cap.” Another is Amanita ocreata, or “destroying angel.” Last winter, a bloom of Amanita phalloides resulted in 14 mushroom poisonings in California that required hospitalization. Three of these cases required a liver transplant.

According to the California Poison Control System, 1,038 cases of poisonous mushroom ingestion were reported throughout the state from November 2016 to Jan. 15, 2018. Among them, 16 people had a serious health problem such as liver or kidney failure leading to coma, live transplant or kidney dialysis, and another 51 had a moderate health outcome, such as dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhea, or injury to the liver or kidney.

And 433 young children were affected by eating wild mushrooms, the state said. The children usually ate a small amount of a mushroom growing in yards or neighborhood parks.

Eating poisonous mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, liver damage or death. People who develop these symptoms, or their treating health care providers, should immediately contact the poison control center at 800-222-1222.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 3:46 PM with the headline "These mushrooms are awfully pretty – and awfully deadly."