California is facing a scary health scare right now. Wild mushrooms called “death caps” are popping up more than usual, and they’ve made over 20 people sick. One person has died, and others, including kids, are in the hospital. Health experts say it’s key to stay away from wild picks during this wet time of year.
The trouble started in mid-November and hit hard into early December. Most cases are in Monterey County and around the San Francisco Bay Area, but the risk is all over the state. These mushrooms look a lot like safe ones you can eat, so people grab them by mistake. Cooking or freezing won’t fix the poison inside—they’re super dangerous.
One bad case involved a child who needed a new liver after eating some. Doctors say the toxins hit fast with tummy pain, throwing up, and loose stools about 6 to 24 hours after you eat them. Things might feel better for a day, but then your liver and kidneys can fail days later. That’s why quick help from doctors is a must.
Erica Pan from the California Department of Public Health warned everyone: “The ‘death cap’ can look just like safe mushrooms, so we tell people not to pick wild ones right now in this risky season.” Dr. Edward Moreno from Monterey County added, “Only folks with lots of know-how should ever eat wild mushrooms they find.”
This isn’t new for California. The rain in fall and winter helps these green-yellow caps grow near oaks and pines. In the whole U.S., poison centers got calls about 4,500 mushroom mix-ups last year, half from little kids under six. Experts guess around 7,400 people get sick from bad mushrooms each year.
To keep safe, stick to mushrooms from stores you trust. If you think you ate a bad one, call 911 right away and bring a sample if you can. The poison hotline is 1-800-222-1222 for quick advice. Health teams are pushing info to stop more cases.