MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2025 — California health officials are warning people not to collect or eat wild mushrooms after a toxin found in some types poisoned nearly two dozen people and killed one.

The California Poison Control System reported 21 cases linked to a toxin called amatoxin, found in a mushroom known as the death cap.

The illnesses occurred between mid-November and early December, according to a statement from the California Department of Public Health.

Some patients, including both children and adults, developed severe liver damage and at least one person may need a liver transplant, officials said.

Death cap mushrooms are among the world’s most poisonous. Eating even small amounts can lead to liver and kidney failure.

They grow widely in California, especially in areas with hardwood trees such as oak or pine. Rainy fall and winter weather also makes them more common.

Hospitals in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay regions have reported more mushroom-related illnesses recently.

"Only people with extensive training and experience should eat wild mushrooms that they have picked themselves," Dr. Edward Moreno, Monterey County health officer, said.

Health experts say the danger comes from how easy it is to confuse death caps with safe mushrooms, as they can look and taste similar.

They are usually two to six inches tall and may have a yellowish green cap. Cooking or freezing does not remove the toxin, The New York Times reported.

Symptoms usually begin within 24 hours. They may start with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and dehydration.

These symptoms may temporarily improve, but severe liver damage can develop days later, sometimes leading to organ failure or death.

Health officials recommend only eating mushrooms purchased from trusted grocery stores or commercial growers.

Mushroom poisonings are difficult to track, but a 2018 report in the journal Mycologia estimated that about 7,400 toxic mushroom exposures happen each year in the United States. Most cases involve children under age 6.

More information

The BC Center for Disease Control has more on death cap mushrooms.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Dec. 6, 2025