Foraging for edible mushrooms has dramatically increased in popularity in San Diego and beyond over the last few years.
However, more people looking for mushrooms, along with foragers using apps that may misidentify toxic mushrooms — such as death’s caps — as edible, means the risk of amatoxin poisoning is also getting higher.
County officials are warning mushroom enthusiasts to take care, as eight new mushroom poisoning cases have appeared across the state in the last month alone. In fact, since November 2025, there have been 47 known mushroom poisoning cases, including four deaths and four people who required liver transplants — although none have yet been reported within San Diego County.
For context, California typically sees fewer than five amatoxin poisonings a year.
“The number of amatoxin cases we’re seeing in California is unprecedented and tragic,” County public health officer Sayone Thihalolipavan in a release.
“We are urging San Diegans to please stay safe by avoiding collecting and eating all wild mushrooms. Even mushrooms that look harmless can contain dangerous toxins that lead to life-threatening illness days later.”
Amatoxin poisoning can be particularly difficult to detect or connect back to mushroom ingestion. Symptoms typically begin six to 24 hours after eating the mushrooms, and can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
The deceptive part comes after that, when symptoms may briefly improve before serious liver injury develops one to four days later — sometimes progressing rapidly into full liver failure. Because of that delay in symptoms, people may not immediately associate their illness with eating wild mushrooms, the county said.
Along with inexperienced foragers, children and pets are risk because they may accidentally ingest mushrooms growing in yards, parks, canyons or open spaces. County health officials recommend removing wild mushrooms from outdoor areas and ensuring that children do not touch or play with them.
Anyone who has eaten wild mushrooms and develops symptoms should seek medical care immediately and can call the California Poison Control System at (800) 222-1222 for further advice. If a pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom, contact a veterinarian or the American SPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888)426-4435.
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