Death Cap Mushroom Warning

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

January 3, 2025 - Salinas Valley Health (SVH) is warning the public about a threat of poisonous mushrooms in our local community and the serious medical consequences of eating mushrooms that could be mistaken for a regular mushroom variety.

Salinas Valley Health Emergency Department physicians say three individuals came into the ER New Year’s Eve suffering from acute hepatotoxicity due to severe mushroom poisoning. The patients told doctors they purchased mushrooms from someone selling produce in the parking lot of an East Salinas grocery store.  They then cooked with the mushrooms and became sick after eating a meal together.

ER physicians immediately notified Salinas Police and have reported the cases to the County of Monterey Public Health Department.

“It is important for people understand the potential dangers of mushrooms not grown in a regulated, commercial environment,” says Erica Locke, MD, Salinas Valley Health Emergency Department physician. “The patients who came into our ER ate what are amanita phalloides mushrooms, commonly known as death cap mushrooms because of their potential deadly impact on the liver.”

The ER team at Salinas Valley Health quickly treated the individuals and transferred them to Stanford Medicine, an academic facility with a Liver Transplant Program.

“The initial signs of ingesting poisonous mushrooms are gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain,” says Dr. Locke. “Those symptoms however generally improve in about 24 hours but damage is already taking place in the liver which can result in liver failure, the need for a liver transplant and even death.”

Dr. Locke says the individuals ingesting the mushrooms thought they were purchasing and eating common white button mushrooms, which can look similar to their wild and poisonous counterpart. 

“Foraging for wild mushrooms in our community is common, however it’s important for people not to eat any mushrooms gathered in the wild or buy mushrooms from a non-commercial source,” warns Dr. Locke.

Information on the incident:

• Patients reported buying the mushrooms from a truck parked in a supermarket parking lot in East Salinas
• The seller(s) may be operating out of multiple locations
• The mushrooms may appear to be white button mushrooms however are known as amanita phalloides or death cap mushrooms because of their potential deadly impact
• Anyone suspected of having eaten mushrooms from an unknown source and suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain should seek emergency medical treatment immediately
• Anyone eating the death cap mushrooms may suffer the above symptoms and then appear to feel better in the next 24 hours however the toxic nature of the mushrooms can cause liver failure, potential need for liver transplant and in a worst case scenario, death
• Only eat mushrooms sold at reputable produce outlets