Aussies warned against fatal deathcap mushroom risk
Aussies have been warned to steer clear of picking or consuming wild mushrooms to avoid deadly poisoning by deathcap mushrooms.
The Australian Food Safety Information Council's warning comes after a 98-year-old Victorian woman died last May by eating deathcaps picked from her own garden, as well as the hospitalisation of a child in ACT due to deathcap poisoning in 2022.
Foraging wild foods like mushrooms is currently popular in Australia, with social media groups popping up dedicated to helping people identify varieties.
READ MORE: 'I don't need my life anymore': Nation rocked by worst tragedy in memory
Deathcaps are difficult to distinguish from some other wild mushrooms, and are known by their mooth, yellowish-green to olive-brown cap, white gills, a white stem with a membranous skirt. Getty
However, as deathcaps are difficult to distinguish from some other wild mushrooms, it's best to steer clear of all wild varieties and only consume those purchased from a supermarket or other reputable source, says the Food Safety Information Council.
"The poison in one death cap mushroom, if eaten, is enough to kill a healthy adult," said Council CEO Lydia Buchtmann.
Symptoms of deathcap poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps, and usually appear 10 to 16 hours after eating.
READ MORE: Inside the brutal foreign prison where Trump is sending 'criminals'
Symptoms of deathcap poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps and usually appear 10 to 16 hours after eating. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Deathcaps have been reported in the Canberra and Melbourne areas, as well as Tasmania and Adelaide, though they may grow in other states. They are typically found near oak trees, one or two weeks after rainfall, though they can be found at any time of year.
Those who do not receive medical attention as soon as possible may go into a coma and die after two or three weeks of liver and kidney failure.
Deathcaps can take up to four days to have deadly impacts, with symptoms sometimes easing after two or three days before becoming fatal.
READ MORE: Search for dad who rolled his ute, extracted kids and fled
The Food Safety Information Council warns people with young children and pets to keep an eye on them outdoors and remove wild mushrooms from garden areas.
Deathcaps do not become less toxic through cooking, peeling, or drying.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
