Bay Area experts warn against foraging for deadly wild mushrooms

"Poisonous mushrooms have popped up all over because of recent rain. Since November, three people have died in California and three others needed liver transplants. Dozens of others have gotten sick. ABC7 News talked to experts about the do's and don'ts of foraging. Debbie Viess of Oakland is an expert when it comes to wild mushrooms. "They're really fun to hunt because they hide. That's a dried morels," said Viess. "Here are porcini. These are freshly harvested California chanterelles. They grow with live oak.""

""So, because of the rainy weather and the wet winter season that we've had here in California, there have been a lot of poisonous mushrooms that are growing," said Dr. Rais Vohra, Medical Director of the Fresno-Madera Division of California Poison Control System. "This is probably the largest outbreak in California history, 35 total cases -- including three fatalities and three liver transplants," said Vohra. Doctors say the mushroom poisoning cases are in Bay Area counties including Alameda, Marin, San Mateo and Sonoma, as well as in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties."

Rainy weather and a wet winter have produced widespread growth of wild mushrooms across the Bay Area and central California, triggering dozens of poisonings. Since November, 35 cases have been reported, including three fatalities and three liver transplants. Dangerous species highlighted include Amanita ocreata (Western Destroying Angel) and the Death Cap because they contain lethal toxins. Cases have appeared in Alameda, Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties. Foragers who are uncertain about identification should not eat wild mushrooms. Language and access barriers may increase risk for some communities.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco