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 may 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 helps 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 for absolute certain what it is! Conks on trees, do not touch Mushrooms and any other things: do not touch. Lots of dangers out there. 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. The only advice I have is what my bud said above. Do not eat or touch anything if you do not know for absolute certain what it is. And I mean absolutely certain.
But my AI phone app, Chat-bot said it was OK to eat. Bet ya didn't know ChatBot was AKA Skynet. sorry wearing my tin foil hat......
There is a test kit for one (important) species of toxic mushrooms: https://www.labmanager.com/new-test-identifies-poisonous-mushrooms-21806 For the large number of other toxic mushrooms, the toxins can be identified with more complex equipment: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003267024001442 Seems intended to guide therapy for people who ate unwisely, and are in the puking phase. -- My impression is that mushroom toxins are active against mammals in general. Kidneys and livers function quite similarly regardless of critter size. These toxins are bad news for a wide range or organisms. One could test many toxins in mice but I think Biioethics Committees would not approve such in primates. -- Humor among mycologists seems to revolve around "any mushroom is edible ...once"
Yunnan Province of China has 50 ish species of edible mushrooms that differ much in flavor and texture. 'Tis the season (July - September) for mushroom restaurants to flourish. I see them running early in Kunming (as rain did) this year. There are also 10 ish species of mushrooms edible only after careful prep, otherwise, trouble of the hospital variety. Restaurants and customers are not so detail oriented, so it goes like this: Restaurant puts your pot on the boil and sets digital countdown timer to 15 minutes, chop sticking may begin after the ding. But there's more. A sample of the soup is taken and stored along with phone # of dining group leader. I suppose it could get analyzed for something if trouble of the hospital variety develops in that group. I suppose it is actually only a ritual that mushroom restaurants all do. Anyway, this seasonal multi mushroom eating may be unique to Yunnan. I have not seen that incoming tourism includes this experience. I would have the experience done differently with mushroom species cooked individually. Now the way is to boil in common broth that dulls distinctions. I have convinced no restaurant boss yet. After years... I expected lots of life differences in coming to China, but this one was a total surprise.
Mushroom enthusiasts elsewhere savor 10 ish species. I call it a good beginning . == On the science side, mushrooms are only seed-dispersing devices for fungi decomposing whatnot in soil, snd fungi working with plant roots to provide resources with their better reach. Most of year, fungal species are warring amongst themselves for access to space. When enough rainwater arrives to make mushrooms, they call truce and do that. Every year for hundreds of millions has been thus, but it's hard to show that to satisfaction of journal reviewers. But I know it, and readers might dare to imagine it so.
I live in an area full of mushroom farms. So far that has meant that there's quite a lot of variety and availability at low prices even when it gets to the big retail markets. That is to say I'm thankful that I haven't needed to forage my way into a major medical event.
"there's quite a lot of variety" i know those species If you like eating mushrooms, I wish you could know many more. Yunnan seems to be the place for this. -- Insiders know where in Kunming botanical garden psychedelic mushrooms are popping up right now. Take the 79 bus. Guess I won't because reality is enough to deal with. Just one reality - I must be getting old.
I think you've found the appropriate grain of salt- we get a lot of variety compared to a Walmart in Lower Nowhere, USA but I suspect it's just a tiny slice of the full menu. Just the other day my contract-employer-of-the-week provided beef stroganoff for the crew lunch catering. It was terrible, I think they'd cooked the mushrooms in vinegar. Made me hungry for a properly-done one. On my little patch of land I see a lot of turkey-tail mushrooms taking apart the stubborn stumps.
The "lower USA" offers a wide variety of edible mushrooms - especially the Southeast USA which have deciduous forest that can rival any Amazon rain forest for a humid atmosphere, types of edible mushrooms found in Southeast
