Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Julie Watson at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.
At least three people have died and three others required liver transplants in California after eating Death Cap mushrooms, prompting health officials to warn against foraging as cases surge to three dozen since November — far exceeding the typical five annual poisonings.
Some key facts:
• At least three dozen mushroom poisoning cases have been reported since Nov. 18, dramatically exceeding the typical annual count of fewer than five cases.
• Three people have died and three others have required liver transplants after consuming Death Cap mushrooms in California.
• The California Department of Public Health is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year due to the proliferation of Death Caps following a rainy winter.
• Victims have ranged in age from 19 months to 67 years old, with many requiring intensive care unit admission for acute liver injury and liver failure.
• Death Cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties, and their toxicity remains regardless of whether they are raw, dried or cooked.
• Symptoms including cramping, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting can appear within 24 hours, and fatal liver damage can develop within two to three days even if early symptoms temporarily subside.
• Death Cap mushrooms have been found in parks across Northern California and the Central Coast, particularly in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas, and typically flourish between November and March.
• Many victims have been Spanish, Mixteco and Mandarin Chinese speakers, prompting the state to expand warnings in multiple languages.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
