California Seeing Huge Spike in Mushroom Poisonings

California typically logs a handful of serious mushroom poisonings a year, but it's currently in the midst of what health authorities call an "unprecedented outbreak" of illnesses and deaths. Since November, the California Department of Public Health has documented 47 mushroom poisoning cases and four deaths statewide, reports SFGate. Cases have been spread across at least six Bay Area counties. The latest came when three adults who foraged in Napa County's Deer Park area over the weekend ended up in the hospital.

Experts point to a mix of factors: recent rains fueling growth, a long-running rise in mushroom foraging, and dangerous lookalikes hiding in plain sight. The main culprits are Death Cap and Destroying Angel mushrooms, per KTLA. They can resemble edible species and even grocery-store varieties, but carry toxins capable of destroying the liver. Another possible factor: Many of those sickened have been international visitors familiar with foraging back home but unfamiliar with California's toxic species, notes SFGate. State wildlife officials warn that plant-identification apps aren't foolproof, and that the safest course of action is to avoid eating wild mushrooms altogether.