Three adults were rushed to the hospital over the weekend after consuming toxic wild mushrooms in Napa County, California, prompting health officials to renew urgent warnings this week about a fatal statewide outbreak.
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.
A dozen California counties have been impacted, with the most recent outbreak fueled by wet weather.
CALIFORNIA HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE URGENT WARNING TO MUSHROOM FORAGERS AFTER DEADLY POISONING OUTBREAK
"Poisonous mushrooms can look and taste similar to safe mushrooms, and even experienced mushroom hunters have been affected by this outbreak," Napa County Public Health Officer Christine Wu wrote in a statement. "State health officials also caution that newly arrived residents might fatally mistake these toxic California fungi for safe varieties they are accustomed to foraging in their home countries."
The public health department stressed that cooking, boiling, freezing or drying toxic mushrooms will not make them safe to eat.
Symptoms often do not appear until 6 to 24 hours after ingestion. Early warning signs include severe stomach pain, cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion and a drop in blood pressure.
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Even if initial symptoms seem to fade within a day, victims can still develop fatal liver or kidney damage, or suffer from seizures within two to three days.
Residents are asked to avoid eating wild mushrooms under any circumstances, watch children closely while they are outside, keep pets away from wild mushrooms and only purchase mushrooms from trusted grocery stores and retailers.
Those who believe they may have eaten a poisonous wild mushroom should seek emergency medical care immediately and call the California Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
Officials said victims should also place any uneaten portions of the mushroom in a paper bag or waxed paper and refrigerate it, or take photos of the cap, stem and underside to help medical experts identify the toxin.
