The winter season has introduced chilly and moist situations which might be good for fungi like demise cap mushrooms, or Amanita phalloides, to develop in California, consultants say, however with that has come a rash of individuals mistakenly consuming them pondering they’re protected.
Up to now this 12 months, at the least 23 folks have been sickened by consuming demise cap mushrooms in California and one particular person has died.
When eaten, they’ll trigger extreme liver harm, requiring intensive care and even inflicting demise in some instances.
Circumstances have been concentrated in Monterey County and the San Francisco Bay Space, however the hazard stays throughout the state, mentioned Dr. Rais Vohra, medical director for the California’s Poison Management System’s Fresno-Madera Division.
“It’s actually not definitely worth the danger,” Vohra mentioned, including that the most secure mushrooms to eat are discovered within the grocery retailer aisle.
However foraging fanatics say there are methods to benefit from the exercise safely — it simply takes a little bit of analysis.
There’s no silver bullet for locating out whether or not a wild mushroom is toxic except you understand what species it’s, mentioned Rudy Diaz, president of the Los Angeles Mycological Society.
Outdated wives’ tales of silver spoons turning black after they contact a toxic mushroom, or that solely bright-colored or foul-tasting mushrooms are unsafe are false, he mentioned.
“A novice forager ought to solely eat wild mushrooms after they’ve been taught to determine them by an professional of their area,” Diaz mentioned.
Right here’s some recommendations on why amateurs ought to keep away from foraging for mushrooms — but when they do, easy methods to reduce the dangers.
Why do folks forage for mushrooms and is it protected to do?
Not solely can wild mushrooms be tasty, however studying to determine them is usually a enjoyable technique to be taught concerning the world round you, Diaz mentioned.
“It’s about discovering this private connection between you and nature,” Diaz mentioned, to search out one thing rising from the earth that hasn’t been processed or ready by different people.
One of many first issues a novice mycologist ought to be taught, Diaz mentioned, is to determine the Amanita genus and keep away from it due to its harmful lookalikes.
Foragers don’t need to eat their finds in any respect, he mentioned. It’s protected to the touch or choose any mushroom, so long as you don’t eat it.
Individuals concerned about studying extra about figuring out mushrooms ought to discover consultants of their space, like their native mycological society, and be a part of their in-person conferences, Diaz mentioned. There are additionally varied Fb teams that crowd supply identification by means of pictures.
Mushroom hunters ought to keep away from counting on AI, like ChatGPT, to determine ones within the wild match for consumption, and as an alternative use sources like iNaturalist, he mentioned.
When taking an image of a mushroom for identification, you need to present the place it was discovered and dig up the whole mushroom, together with its stem and base. It’s additionally useful to point out the gills positioned beneath its cap, Diaz mentioned.
Different edible mushrooms in California which might be way more recognizable — and don’t have harmful lookalikes — embody the rooster of the woods, oyster mushroom and honey mushroom, Diaz mentioned.
How will you determine the demise cap mushroom?
A demise cap mushroom shall be rising out of the bottom close to an oak or different hardwood tree, Diaz mentioned. It has a sac-like cup on the base of its bulb that’s often discovered beneath the soil — an indication it’s within the Amanita genus which might be harmful, Diaz mentioned.
Its dome-shaped easy cap might have olive or yellowish-green tones. It is going to have white gills and spores on the underside of its cap, and can have a definite ring or skirt round its stem.
If you’re not skilled in figuring out wild mushrooms, you need to ask an professional for assist.
The demise cap mushroom is accountable for over 90% of mushroom-related deaths on this planet, in line with iNaturalist. There is no such thing as a technique to cook dinner, freeze or put together it for consumption to make it protected.
The species might be mistaken for edible mushrooms like Amanita caesarea, or Caesar’s mushroom, and the straw mushroom.
What are the signs of consuming a demise cap mushroom?
In contrast to many different toxic mushrooms that may trigger vomiting or different signs nearly instantly, it’s possible you’ll not know you’re sick from amatoxin poisoning till hours — and several other meals — later, mentioned Vohra from the state poison management middle.
Signs are hidden for across the first eight hours, Vohra mentioned, earlier than a affected person might begin experiencing stomach ache, cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In excessive instances, an individual who ate demise cap mushrooms can go into catastrophic liver failure and wish a liver transplant.
Medical doctors haven’t any great way of testing for amatoxin within the physique in the event you don’t know what you’ve eaten, probably resulting in a delay in care which might be harmful, Vohra mentioned.
For those who’ve eaten one thing which you could’t determine, name California’s poison management hotline at 1-800-222-1222 free of charge, confidential professional recommendation in a number of languages. For those who suspect mushroom poisoning, name 911.
