These wild mushrooms have sickened Californians. Here’s how to eat safely

The winter season has brought cold and wet conditions that are ideal for fungi such as death mushrooms, or Amanita phalloidesgrowing in California, experts say, but even that has already sparked people who mistakenly think they’re safe.

So far this year, at least 23 people have gotten sick from eating deadly mushrooms in California and one person has died.

When ingested, it can cause severe liver damage, require intensive care and cause death in some cases.

The cases are concentrated in Monterey County and the San Francisco Bay Area, but the risk remains across the State, said Dr. Rais VoHra, medical director of the California Poison Control System Fresno-Madera division.

“It’s not really worth the risk,” Vohra said, adding that the safest edible mushrooms are found in grocery stores.

But enduring couples say there are ways to enjoy work safely — it just takes a little research.

There is no silver bullet for determining whether a wild mushroom is poisonous

When it comes to poisonous mushrooms, only brightly colored or dirty mushrooms are unsafe, she said.

“A novice forager should only eat wild mushrooms after they have been taught to see them by experts in their region,” says Dioz.

Here are some tips on why amateurs should avoid growing mushrooms – but if they do, how to reduce the risk.

Why do people eat mushrooms and is it safe to do so?

Not only are wild mushrooms edible, but learning how to spot them can be a fun way to learn about the world around you, says Dioz.

“It’s about finding this personal connection between yourself and nature,” says Diaz, finding something that grows in a world that hasn’t been processed or prepared by other people.

One of the first things a novice mycologist must learn, Diaz said, is identification He doesn’t sweat Gutus also avoid it because of its dangerous Naturalikes.

Photographers don’t have to eat the finds, he said. It’s safe to touch or pick any mushroom, as long as you don’t eat it.

People interested in learning more about mushroom identification should find experts in their area, such as their local community, and join their community meetings, says Dioz. There are various Facebook groups that include photo source identification.

Mushroom hunters should avoid relying on AI, such as chatgpt, to identify mushrooms in the wild that are suitable for use, and instead use services such as inaturalist, he said.

When taking a picture of a mushroom to identify, you must show where it was found and grind the whole mushroom, including its stem and base. It also helps to show the gills that are built under the cap, says Diaz.

Some of the edible mushrooms in California that are extremely visible – and you don’t have all the dangerous days – include chicken of the forest, oyster mushroom and mushroom honey, says honey.

How to identify the Death cap Mushroom?

A cap mushroom will grow out of the ground near an oak or other hardwood tree, Dioz said. It has a sac-like cup at the base of its bulb that is often found underground – a sign that it is He doesn’t sweat Genus can be dangerous, says Diaz.

The smooth molded cap of the dome-summer can have olive or yellow tones. There will be white gills and bells on the bottom of its cap, and there will be a distinct ring or skirt around its trunk.

If you are not guided in identifying wild mushrooms, you should ask for help with help.

The Fam Cap Mushroom is responsible for over 90% of the world’s deaths, according to Innaturalist. There is no way to cook, freeze or prepare it for use to make it safe again.

Species can be mistaken for edible mushrooms Amanita Caesareaor Caesar mushrooms, and grass mushrooms.

What are the symptoms of eating cap cap cap?

Unlike many other poisonous mushrooms that can cause vomiting or other symptoms immediately, you may not know you are sick from the poison for hours – and several meals – said Vohra of the Vech Poison Control Center.

The symptoms are hidden for about the first eight hours, said Vohra, before the patient begins to experience abdominal pain, suffocation, diarrhea, nausea. In extreme cases, a person who eats dead mushrooms can go into catastrophic liver failure and require a liver transplant.

Doctors don’t have a good way to test for Amatoxin in the body if you don’t know what you ate, which leads to potentially dangerous delays in care, Vohra said.

If you’ve eaten something you can’t identify, call the Poison accomplice hotline at 1-800-222222222229 for confidential expert advice in multiple languages. If you suspect mushroom poisoning, call 911.