Overview
- Health officials confirm 21 amatoxin poisonings since mid-November, including one adult death and multiple cases with severe liver injury.
- Clusters were reported in Monterey County and the San Francisco Bay Area, though authorities stress the risk exists statewide during the rainy season.
- At least one patient is being evaluated for a liver transplant as hospitals continue treating severe cases following the statewide advisory.
- Death cap mushrooms, often mistaken for edible varieties, are not made safe by cooking, boiling, drying, or freezing and commonly grow near oaks and other hardwoods.
- Initial gastrointestinal symptoms can appear 6–24 hours after ingestion and may briefly improve before serious liver damage develops 48–96 hours later; the poison control hotline is 1-800-222-1222.