SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Experts are warning about foraging for wild mushrooms in the Bay Area, as you could end up with fatal fungi.
Poisonous mushrooms have popped up all over because of recent rain. Since November, three people have died in California and three others needed liver transplants. Dozens of others have gotten sick.
ABC7 News talked to experts about the do’s and don’ts of foraging.
Debbie Viess of Oakland is an expert when it comes to wild mushrooms.
“They’re really fun to hunt because they hide. That’s a dried morels,” said Viess. “Here are porcini. These are freshly harvested California chanterelles. They grow with live oak.”
MORE: Sonoma County resident dies after eating wild mushrooms as poisoning spikes
Several years ago, Viess and her husband started a group called Bay Area Mycological Society.
“We educate people on how to identify mushrooms,” said Viess.
She teaches people about both good and potentially deadly mushrooms.
“This is Amanita ocreata commonly called ‘Western Destroying Angel’,” said Viess.
Experts say watch out for “Western Destroying Angel” mushrooms and “Death Cap” mushrooms because they have dangerous toxins.
MORE: 1 killed, more than 20 poisoned by death cap mushrooms in California, officials say
“So, because of the rainy weather and the wet winter season that we’ve had here in California, there have been a lot of poisonous mushrooms that are growing,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, Medical Director of the Fresno-Madera Division of California Poison Control System.
“This is probably the largest outbreak in California history, 35 total cases — including three fatalities and three liver transplants,” said Vohra.
Doctors say the mushroom poisoning cases are in Bay Area counties including Alameda, Marin, San Mateo and Sonoma, as well as in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
“A vast majority of people who get poisoned are immigrants. They might not speak English well- not on Facebook group to talk about mushrooms,” said Viess.
Doctors say if you want to eat wild mushrooms, buy them from a farmer’s market or other reliable vendors.
“We really want people to stay safe,” said Dr. Vohra.
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