Morels – considered one of the world’s deadliest fungi – are behind a spike in poisonings in California that have killed four people and sent three others to liver transplants, health officials say.
The toxic fungus, scientifically known as Amanita phalloides, has spread widely across Northern California and the Central Coast after a rainy winter, prompting emergency warnings from state health officials, the AP reported.
What are dead mushrooms?
Morels contain amatoxins, powerful poisons that attack the liver and kidneys and can lead to organ failure or death, according to experts cited by the news outlet.
Crucially, toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking, drying or freezing.
Experts have warned that it doesn’t matter whether the variety is raw, dried or cooked.
Health professionals emphasize that the appearance of the fungus does not offer any reliable clue to its danger.
They are easily confused with edible mushrooms
One of the biggest risks that boletus mushrooms pose is how easily they resemble edible varieties, especially those commonly found in Europe, Asia, and parts of Mexico.
Laura Marcelino, a 36-year-old seasonal farmer in Salinas, told the San Francisco Chronicle that her family mistook porcini mushrooms for those she had safely eaten in her native Oaxaca, Mexico.
“We thought it was safe,” Marcelino said in Spanish.
Her husband later required a liver transplant after the couple ate mushrooms twice.
Symptoms can be delayed and deceptive
People who ingest the mushrooms often experience stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea within 24 hours, experts say.
These early symptoms may resolve within a day, giving a false sense of recovery—even as serious liver damage continues to develop.
Severe to fatal liver damage can still develop within two to three days, health officials warned.
By the time symptoms worsen, treatment becomes significantly more difficult, according to doctors cited by the Associated Press.
Where are the death caps located
Toadstools have been collected in local and national parks throughout Northern California and along the Central Coast, including clusters in Monterey County and the San Francisco Bay Area, officials said, cited by the AP.
They usually grow near oaks and other hardwood trees and thrive after periods of heavy rain.
Who are affected
Those poisoned this year ranged in age from 19 months to 67 years, the California Department of Public Health said.
The department noted that many of the cases involved Spanish, Mixteco and Mandarin Chinese, prompting the state to expand public warnings in multiple languages. Spanish was the primary language for more than 60% of those poisoned, according to the Department of Health.
Children and pets are also at risk, officials warned.
What officials advise
Health professionals strongly recommend avoiding wild mushroom foraging altogether and only buying mushrooms from trusted grocery stores and vendors.
“Treatment is more difficult once symptoms appear,” doctors warned, urging anyone who believes they may have eaten a toxic mushroom to seek medical attention immediately.
U.S. poison control centers can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 or through PoisonHelp.org, the Associated Press reported.