The Department of Health has issued an urgent warning for people to avoid gathering mushrooms in Melbourne and rural Victoria.
Poisonous varieties of mushroom have sprouted earlier than normal thanks to the recent deluges of rain.
According to Victorian deputy chief health officer Angie Bone, it’s easy for people to mistake poisonous mushrooms for edible varieties.
“While commercially-sold mushrooms are safe, poisonings can occur when people gathering wild mushrooms inadvertently include toxic species,” she said.
Of particular concern are the Death Cap and the Yellow Staining mushrooms.
The commonly found Yellow Staining mushroom turns yellow when the cap or stem is bruised by a thumbnail.
The Death Cap is a large mushroom, with a cap ranging from light olive green to greenish yellow in colour. The gills are white, and the base of the stem is surrounded by a cup-shaped sac.
The Death Cap is the most dangerous variety , usually found near deciduous trees, especially oaks, in some Melbourne suburbs and rural areas.
Dr Bone strongly advises anyone who becomes ill after eating mushrooms to seek urgent medical advice and, if possible, take samples of the whole mushroom for identification.
“Symptoms of poisoning can include violent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea,” Dr Bone said.
“Symptoms may subside after a day or two – but this doesn’t necessarily mean recovery.
“Death can follow within 48 hours from serious liver damage. The Death Cap is extremely toxic and responsible for 90 per cent of all mushroom poisoning deaths.
“If you have any doubts about a species of fungus or mushroom, don’t eat it. Cooking, peeling or drying these mushrooms does not remove or inactivate the poison.”
For more information on poisonous varieties of mushroom, visit the Better Health Channel website.
