Source: Three more people sick in California amid ‘unprecedented outbreak’ due to toxic mushrooms | California | The Guardian . . . Since November 2025, California has seen 47 cases of people accidentally foraging and eating poisonous wild mushrooms, including death caps, which can resemble edible species, and western destroying angel mushrooms. Four people have died and several have required liver transplants. The Napa group ate mushrooms foraged from the Deer Park area, according to a statement from the county public health department. The incident comes as recent rains have contributed to the resurgence of poisonous wild mushrooms across the state, said Dr Christine Wu, the county’s public health officer. “Poisonous mushrooms can look and taste similar to safe mushrooms, and even experienced mushroom hunters have been affected by this outbreak,” Wu said in a statement. Symptoms can start out mild but quickly become fatal, according to the county public health department, which advised people not to eat wild mushrooms and keep children and pets away from the fungi. . . . Heads up. Bob Wilson
The death cap's range has been expanding in the US. There is a treatment for its poisoning. It protects the liver until the patient can pass the toxin. Probably still in clinical trials, but the principal investigator will supply it for cases if you contact him.
speaking of mushrooms (isn't they're another recent thread on shrooms?) - it makes one wonder if ingesting the bad ones is a case of mistaken identity. Not edible mistaken identity . Wouldn't know the difference by looking whether those ingested for hallucinogenic effects - but it makes one wonder if that's the case
All you need is one bad mushroom in the batch to spoil the entire pot. Especially for those that think AI pictures are great and don't know any better - are they willing to bet their life on it???? "even experienced mushroom hunters have been affected by this outbreak,” Wu said in a statement."
I've never studied mushroom toxin(s) but wonder if there is or could be a "test strip?" Do white mice have the same fatal consequences? Bob Wilson
Well, they do use pigs of some sort to find truffles, which are a mushroom of some sort. Don't know if that means they eat them versus finding them.
If you can buy Lion's Mane mushroom and replace it with meat in cooking you'll be amazed... It has extensively studied fibers that are great for gut health, it's a neuro-regenerative and most of all it makes you feel calm and happy from the moment it goes in all the way till it goes out the other end. An essential mushroom for longevity and mental health as well as neurological health. Almost as essential as psychedelic mushrooms in terms of a psych med that doesn't start an addiction and has no bad side effects.
My woods, at this moment, are "full" of deadly, but attractive poison mushrooms that resemble safe species. Like dozens and dozens Been here 35 years and have never seen this many mushrooms this late in the season. Normally they are "gone" by now. And not so many. I took mycology at university just as an undergrad and I had my last retriever professionally trained to find mushrooms (truffles actually) -- BTW -- training dogs to find edibles is a PIA and you have to keep it up to keep their game sharp. Anyway, I know enough to harvest the "easy ones" and to eschew the questionable. It's helps that I had a good friend who had his graduate degree in mycology from Duke. He died a few years ago (not from mushrooms), but he taught me a great deal in our walks through the woods. He had one mantra for walking the woods -- don't touch anything if you do not know what it is! But, again...I do not know if it is climate change or just an off-year or what, but many more than usual and usually they are long gone from the woods by this time of year. Went hiking yesterday and probably saw a couple of dozen, without even looking.
