Wild Mushroom Foraging Trend Linked to Deaths and Illnesses Across Multiple States

In the past two weeks alone, 13 people in northeast Ohio became ill after consuming toxic wild mushrooms, with one requiring a liver transplant. In Montana, 11 people were hospitalized last month after foraging near Yellowstone National Park, with several in serious condition. California health officials have described the situation there as "unprecedented," reporting at least 49 people sickened between last November and May — including a toddler — with multiple hospitalizations, organ failures, emergency liver transplants and four adult deaths.

Those cases span just the past nine months. Accidental poisonings tied to wild mushroom foraging have been increasing in recent years, with the hobby having grown sharply in popularity since COVID-19. Foraging involves searching for and collecting fungi in forests, parks and green spaces in pursuit of edible varieties. The problem is that some poisonous species closely resemble safe ones.

Deadly lookalikes are hard to distinguish

Toxic jack-o'-lantern mushrooms, which can trigger severe gastrointestinal problems, are easily confused with orange chanterelles. Meadow mushrooms can be mistaken for destroying angels, a deadly lookalike capable of damaging vital organs including the liver and kidneys. The death cap, responsible for roughly 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide, can be confused with edible paddy straw mushrooms, puffballs or common field mushrooms. Experts say reliably distinguishing edible from toxic species takes considerable time, practice and hands-on experience.

As foraging has grown among amateurs, so has reliance on technology to identify finds. Beginners are turning to social media, smartphone apps, chatbots and AI tools — sometimes with dangerous results. In 2022, an Ohio man needed emergency treatment after eating deadly Amanita mushrooms from his backyard that an identification app had incorrectly labeled as edible. "I will never eat [a wild mushroom] again," he told CNN. "I found some the other day, my app told me they were edible, and I said to it, 'I don't believe you.'"

The New York Mycological Society has also cautioned that Amazon and other retailers are selling mushroom foraging and identification books generated by AI. "Please only buy books of known authors and foragers, it can literally mean life or death," the group posted on X in 2023.

Experts urge hands-on training, not social media

Dr. Christopher Bazzoli, a wilderness medicine specialist, advised that foraging is not a skill suited to informal online learning. "This isn't a skill you should be learning from TikTok," he said. "Look to get some expert, hands-on training so you can feel confident you know what you're looking at when you forage." He noted that some toxic varieties look, smell and even taste normal, and that symptoms may not appear until well after consumption.

Early warning signs of mushroom poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, confusion, weakness, a racing or irregular heartbeat and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, poisoning can lead to seizures, paralysis, organ failure and death. Anyone who feels unwell after eating a wild mushroom or plant is advised not to wait and see, but to call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. Saving a sample or photograph of the mushroom consumed can also help medical professionals determine the appropriate treatment, as there is no universal antidote for mushroom poisoning.