Overview
- A Sonoma County resident died over the weekend after eating wild mushrooms, marking the first local fatality this season.
- Officials say California recorded 35 poisoning cases from Nov. 18 to Jan. 4, including three deaths and three liver transplants.
- State health authorities identified clusters in Monterey and San Francisco counties linked to amatoxin in death cap mushrooms.
- Cooking, boiling, freezing or drying does not neutralize the toxins, and residents are urged to avoid foraged mushrooms, buy from trusted retailers, supervise children, and keep pets away.
- Symptoms can begin 6–24 hours after ingestion and may briefly improve before severe liver damage develops within 2–3 days, so suspected exposures warrant immediate medical care.