Overview
- Doctors in the San Francisco Bay Area reported 23 death cap poisoning cases to the California Poison Control System since Nov. 18, with all patients hospitalized, one death, five still in care, one liver transplant performed and another patient awaiting a transplant.
- The California Department of Public Health issued a statewide advisory on Dec. 5 after confirming 21 amatoxin cases since mid-November likely linked to death caps.
- Officials advise against eating any foraged mushrooms unless identified by trained experts and urge residents to rely on commercially sourced mushrooms.
- Cooking, boiling, drying or freezing does not neutralize amatoxins, and early gastrointestinal symptoms can be followed by severe liver injury.
- Symptoms often start 6–24 hours after ingestion and can progress to serious liver damage within 48–96 hours; clusters have been noted in Monterey County and the Bay Area, and the poison hotline is 1-800-222-1222.