Four people have died and three others have required liver transplants after eating the aptly named death cap mushroom that is proliferating in California following a rainy winter.

The California Department of Public Health is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year because death cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties.

Since Nov. 18 there have been more than three dozen cases of death cap poisonings reported, including the four deaths and three liver transplants, according to the health department. Many who sought medical attention suffered from rapidly evolving acute liver injury and liver failure. Several patients required admission to an intensive care unit. They have ranged in age from 19 months to 67 years old.

The death cap is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world and is part of a small group of mushrooms containing amatoxins, which are highly potent compounds causing 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings globally. They are in city parks and in forests, often under oak trees.

  • tjadeleted by creator
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    10
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    deleted by creator

    • ameancowdeleted by creator
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      25 days ago

      deleted by creator

      • tjadeleted by creator
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        deleted by creator

        • ameancowdeleted by creator
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          25 days ago

          deleted by creator

            • ameancowdeleted by creator
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              25 days ago

              deleted by creator

              • toast@retrolemmy.com
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                2 months ago

                I’m not saying that you should give better advice. Just don’t shit on other people for providing some nuance.

                • ameancowdeleted by creator
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  2
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  25 days ago

                  deleted by creator

                  • toast@retrolemmy.com
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    2 months ago

                    Nobody has a problem with you giving the only advice on this subject that you are qualified to give. No one thinks you should say more on the subject at all. Just because you aren’t qualified to expand on what has been said doesn’t mean that you are justified in shutting down further discussion or should be immune to criticism.