Overview
- University Hospital Essen is caring for multiple severe Amanita phalloides poisonings, with local reports citing six patients and two liver transplants.
- Münster has cordoned several playgrounds in Handorf and Wolbeck after a child put a poisonous mushroom in their mouth, removing fruiting bodies and replacing sand.
- Typical illness starts 8–12 hours after eating the mushroom with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, and early use of activated charcoal and silibinin can improve outcomes.
- Mycologists say the fungus is often mistaken for edible champignons or certain russulas, and identification apps are not reliable for safe decisions.
- Experts note the species’ ties to deciduous trees mean spores can lead to reappearance despite cleanup, with this wet autumn raising risk and poison centers urging immediate calls and preservation of remnants for identification.