{"id":2153,"date":"2026-01-15T17:11:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T17:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hca.venturacounty.gov\/public-health\/?p=2153"},"modified":"2026-03-03T20:00:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:00:56","slug":"death-cap-mushrooms-linked-to-three-deaths-three-liver-transplants-and-35-hospitalizations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hca.venturacounty.gov\/public-health\/2026\/01\/15\/death-cap-mushrooms-linked-to-three-deaths-three-liver-transplants-and-35-hospitalizations\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Cap Mushrooms Linked to Three Deaths, Three Liver Transplants and 35 Hospitalizations"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For immediate release from CDPH.<\/strong>
Contact: media@cdph.ca.gov<\/p>

Wet Weather Spurs Mushroom Growth and Mushroom Foraging with Fatal Results <\/em><\/p>

What you need to know: <\/strong>Recent rain contributed to widespread growth of Death Cap mushrooms in California. CDPH is again urging Californians not to pick or eat wild mushrooms as the risk of potentially deadly amatoxin poisoning is high. Since Death Cap mushrooms are easily confused for safe-to-eat, lookalike mushrooms, all mushroom foraging should be avoided.<\/p>

As of January 6, 35 cases, including three adult fatalities and three liver transplants, have been linked to the ongoing outbreak.<\/p>

SACRAMENTO<\/strong> \u2013 The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is issuing an update to its\u00a0December 5 health advisory<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as an outbreak of amatoxin poisoning continues across California. This outbreak is linked to the consumption of wild, foraged mushrooms and has caused severe liver damage in both children and adults, resulting in three adult deaths and three liver transplants to date. CDPH urges Californians not to pick or eat wild mushrooms.<\/span>
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Between November 18 and January 6, the California Poison Control System (CPCS) has identified 35 hospitalized cases across Northern California and the Central Coast, spanning regions from Sonoma to San Luis Obispo. Affected individuals range in age from 19 months to 67 years and include family groups and individual cases. Medical treatment for amatoxin poisoning has been provided in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sonoma. Most cases are in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Area, though Death Cap mushrooms can be found across the state, particularly adjacent to oaks, other hardwoods and some pines.<\/span>
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Information provided by some affected individuals indicates that Death Cap mushrooms were collected from various locations across Northern California and the Central Coast regions, including, county, city and national park lands.<\/span><\/p>

What CDPH is Doing:<\/strong><\/p>

CDPH continues to coordinate with CPCS and public health partners on case investigation, tracking, and developing outreach and education materials. CDPH has released public service announcements (PSAs) in three languages:\u00a0<\/span>English<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Spanish<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Mixteco<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(with assistance from the San Luis Obispo Health Agency). These PSAs warn the public about the risks of mushroom foraging, or mushroom hunting, during this high-risk season when Death Cap mushrooms are abundant. Additionally, CDPH has developed poisonous mushroom webpages in\u00a0<\/span>English<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Spanish<\/span><\/a>; a PDF in\u00a0<\/span>Chinese<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that provides important health information; flyers in English, Spanish and Chinese; and, updated outbreak details and additional education resources.<\/span>
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What Californians Can Do:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>