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3w ago

Seven Hospitalized in Monterey County After Eating Suspected Amanita ‘White Cap’ Mushrooms

Officials urge residents to consume only commercially grown mushrooms.

Monterey County health officials warned residents to “exercise caution” when gathering and eating wild mushrooms, saying local hospitals have reported increases in illness.
A close-up of a young poisonous death cap mushroom, whose scientific name is Amanita phalloides. 
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Overview

  • County health officials and Salinas Valley Health confirm seven people were treated over the holiday weekend after foraging wild white-cap mushrooms.
  • Doctors report there is no antidote for amatoxin poisoning and say the sickest patients may require liver transplants.
  • Hospital staff warn that washing, cooking, or other preparation does not neutralize the toxins found in Amanita species.
  • Symptoms can be delayed for 6 to 24 hours and can progress to severe liver injury, so anyone exposed should seek immediate care or call California Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
  • This alert follows a broader uptick in cases this year, including a January poisoning linked to mushrooms bought from an unlicensed parking-lot vendor.