Correction, December 10, 2025 1:16 PM: A previous version of this article included a photograph incorrectly identified as showing death cap mushrooms. The image did not depict death caps. The photo has been removed.
SACRAMENTO, 12/8/25 – Poisonous mushrooms have caused a surge of serious illnesses in Northern California, killing one adult and causing severe liver damage in 21 people since mid-November, state health officials said.
The California Department of Public Health on Friday issued an “urgent advisory” urging the public to avoid foraging for or eating any wild mushrooms after an increase in poisonings linked to the fungi known as death cap mushrooms.
“Death cap mushrooms contain potentially deadly toxins that can lead to liver failure,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s public health officer. “Because the death cap can easily be mistaken for edible mushrooms, we advise the public not to forage for wild mushrooms at all during this high-risk season.”
The department said “significant clusters” of death caps have been found in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Area, though the risk exists statewide.
Death caps (Amanita phalloides) closely resemble some edible varieties, making them easy to confuse. Cooking or freezing them does not remove the toxins, officials said.
Symptoms of poisoning — including watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and dehydration — typically appear within 6 to 24 hours after ingestion and may temporarily improve. But health officials warned that this improvement can be misleading, as severe or fatal liver damage can develop 48 to 96 hours after eating the mushrooms.
As of Friday, the California Poison Control System had identified 21 suspected cases of mushroom poisoning since mid-November. Several patients have required intensive care. One adult has died, and at least one patient may need a liver transplant.
Death cap mushrooms grow throughout California, especially near oak and other hardwood trees. Rain in the fall and winter creates ideal conditions for their spread, health officials said.
More information is available at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/CAHAN/Foraged-Wild-Mushrooms.aspx.
This photo is not Amanita phalloides. You should use an accurate photo!
Agreed. This matters.
This photo is of an edible sillius mushroom. Replace with an actual photo of the mushroom at issue if you want people to stop picking and getting poisoned. Common sense.
The authors posting these articles can’t ID any better than the folks out here getting poisoned. DO NOT EAT ANY THING YOU HAVE FORAGED WITHOUT PROPERLY IDENTIFYING IT FIRST. Google AI and Google photo search ARE NOT trustworthy means of identifying fungi or anything else you plan to consume. My personal advice is stay safe and avoid the harder to confuse varieties, there’s lots of other delicious and easier to identify types in this area. Take spore prints! Get involved in local foraging groups, share and learn with each other! And don’t be afraid to go home empty handed, it’s a lot better than the latter.
Please correct your photo. That is not Amanita phalloides.