California health officials warn against eating wild mushrooms amid outbreak

California public health officials on Wednesday issued a health advisory urging residents to avoid picking and eating any wild mushrooms as the state grapples with an outbreak of amatoxin poisoning.

The poisoning is caused by the ingestion of the deadly Death Cap mushroom, which is easily confused with safe-to-eat, lookalike mushrooms, according to health officials.

As of January 6, 35 cases, including three adult fatalities and three liver transplants, have been linked to the ongoing outbreak spanning regions from Sonoma to San Luis Obispo, the California Department of Public Health said Wednesday.

Affected individuals range in age from 19 months to 67 years and include family groups and individual cases.

Recent rain has contributed to the widespread growth of Death Cap mushrooms in California, according to the department.

What state health officials suggest Californians do to avoid Death Cap mushrooms

State public health officials also encourage residents to only buy mushrooms from trusted retailers and to keep children and pets away from wild mushrooms.

If you or someone you know has eaten a poisonous mushroom, seek help immediately. Contact the California Poison Control System hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for symptoms to appear, as treatment is more difficult once symptoms start.

Initial symptoms including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and dehydration can occur within 6 to 24 hours following ingestion of the toxic mushrooms and usually go away within a day.

However, this brief improvement can be deceptive. Patients may still develop serious to fatal liver damage within 48 to 96 hours after eating the mushrooms, according to CPCS.

This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 4:57 PM.