"It all comes amid a massive bloom of aptly named death cap mushrooms, which has been fueled by potent storm systems in October and December and has left health officials pleading with foragers to stop collecting wild mushrooms altogether. "Since death cap mushrooms are easily confused for safe-to-eat, lookalike mushrooms, all mushroom foraging should be avoided," the health department warned Wednesday."
"Amatoxin mushrooms - such as the feared death cap - can cause severe gastrointestinal illness that can ultimately lead to organ failure if left untreated. Initial symptoms - which tend to appear within six to 24 hours of ingesting a death cap - can include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dehydration, the state health department said."
"In all, 35 people have been hospitalized from Nov. 18 through Jan. 6 across Northern California and the Central Coast, the health department reported. The poisonings have affected people ages 19 months to 67 years old, from Sonoma to San Luis Obispo counties, the agency reported. The Bay Area ranks among the hardest-hit areas, with poisonings reported in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties."
Rainy weather and potent October and December storm systems triggered a large bloom of death cap (amatoxin) mushrooms along the California coast. From Nov. 18 through Jan. 6, 35 people were hospitalized, three died, and three required liver transplants after consuming toxic wild mushrooms; victims ranged from 19 months to 67 years old across Sonoma to San Luis Obispo counties. Initial symptoms appear within six to 24 hours and include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dehydration, often deceptively improving before fatal complications two to four days later. Cooking, boiling, freezing or drying does little to reduce toxicity; foraging should be avoided.
Read at The Mercury News
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