An outbreak of serious illness associated with eating foraged wild mushrooms has been reported. California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging people to avoid foraging for and eating wild mushrooms while the risk of amatoxin poisoning is high. As of early January 2026, three people have died, and 35 were sickened, in California from wild mushroom poisoning, primarily linked to the toxic "death cap" (Amanita phalloides) mushroom. The Amatoxin results in severe liver damage. The death cap mushroom can easily be mistaken for edible, safe mushrooms. Consuming these mushrooms can lead to severe poisoning. Cooking, boiling, drying, or freezing these mushrooms does NOT make them safe to eat. @ https://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-information/death-cap-mushrooms-sicken-35-and-kill-3/
