Sacramento County Public Health is warning residents not to pick or eat wild mushrooms after confirming three additional local cases of amatoxin poisoning linked to Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms.
The three Sacramento County cases involved people who accidentally picked and ate the poisonous mushrooms, according to SCPH. All three were hospitalized for treatment.
The warning comes amid what state officials describe as an unprecedented statewide outbreak tied to the consumption of wild, foraged mushrooms. California health officials say the outbreak has resulted in four adult deaths and four liver transplants statewide to date, with 47 reported poisoning cases between Nov. 18, 2025, and May 11, 2026. Eight new cases were reported during the last four weeks alone, including four reported within the past week — well beyond the normal peak mushroom season. In a typical year, California sees fewer than five such poisoning cases statewide.
According to the California Department of Public Health, affected patients have ranged in age from 19 months to 67 years old and include both family groups and individual cases spanning regions from Sonoma County to San Luis Obispo County.
Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms can easily be mistaken for edible varieties and remain poisonous even after cooking, boiling, freezing or drying.
“With poisonings continuing to increase across California, we want residents to understand that foraging wild mushrooms carries significant risk,” Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said. “Toxic mushrooms can be difficult to distinguish from edible varieties and can cause severe illness or death. The safest choice amid this ongoing situation is to avoid wild mushroom foraging entirely.”
State health officials say symptoms may not appear until six to 24 hours after ingestion and can initially include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration and cramping. Symptoms may temporarily improve before serious liver failure develops within two to four days. Mushroom poisoning can also lead to kidney damage, seizures, hallucinations and death.
Officials are urging residents to purchase mushrooms only from trusted grocery stores and retailers, use caution when buying mushrooms from street vendors and keep children and pets away from wild mushrooms.
Anyone who has eaten a wild mushroom or suspects poisoning should immediately contact the California Poison Control System hotline at 1-800-222-1222 and seek medical attention. The hotline operates 24 hours a day in more than 200 languages.
Sacramento County Public Health said it is coordinating with the California Department of Public Health and California Poison Control on case investigations, tracking and public outreach efforts during the ongoing outbreak.
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