"The state health department reports that, between late November 2025 and early February 2026, there have been four deaths and 40 hospitalizations linked to consumption of dangerous mushrooms, an outbreak the department describes as unprecedented. That's far above the average for the state, which typically sees fewer than five mushroom-poisoning cases annually. The people who have been sickened include a seasonal farm worker couple from Oaxaca, Mexico."
"Rudy Diaz, the resident mycologist of the Los Angeles Mycological Society, said the illnesses have put the public on edge. When he was out with a friend last month looking at some mushrooms on the side of the trail, a stranger chided him for doing something risky, telling him that he should know people had been recently poisoned by mushrooms. While beginner mushroom pickers may struggle to identify species, among fungi enthusiasts in the know, there is no sense of panic, Diaz says."
A wet winter in California produced a large surge of wild fungi, including edible species and the deadly death cap (Amanita phalloides). State health officials reported four deaths and 40 hospitalizations between late November 2025 and early February 2026, an outbreak described as unprecedented compared with fewer than five annual cases typically. Victims ranged from 19 months to 67 years old and included a seasonal farm worker couple from Oaxaca; several people required liver transplants. Experienced mycologists say trained foragers face lower risk, while experts advise the general public to exercise extra caution when picking mushrooms for consumption.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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