3 hospitalized after eating lethal mushrooms, may have liver failure

By Ricardo Tovar

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    SALINAS, California (KSBW) — Salinas Valley Health says that three people have been hospitalized after being poisoned by potentially lethal mushrooms on New Year’s Eve.

“Salinas Valley Health is warning the public about a threat of poisonous mushrooms in our local community and the serious medical consequences of eating or cooking with the mushrooms that may be mistaken for a regular mushroom variety,” they said in a media release.

The three said that they bought the death cap mushrooms on the side of the road from a truck vendor. The patients brought the mushrooms home and cooked with them.

The vendor was outside of a supermarket in East Salinas. SVH says the seller(s) may be operating out of multiple locations.

They began feeling nauseous; they started vomiting, having diarrhea and stomach pains.

After three days, they began getting yellow skin and eyes, showed signs of liver failure and went to the emergency room.

Usually, when you ingest the mushroom, you start to feel better before getting worse. That was the case with the three patients, so the treatment was delayed.

They were transferred from SVH to Stanford Medicine in critical condition because they have an academic facility with a Liver Transplant Program.

Death caps can be lethal to humans and have a mortality rate between 10% to 30%.

“A single mushroom may contain many times over the amount of toxin that would prove fatal; ingesting only a small piece is enough to kill an adult,” per Britannica.

Symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms start showing within 6 to 24 hours after eating.

“The mushrooms that brought three people into the ER at Salinas Valley Health are not hallucinogenic mushrooms,” said Dr. Erica Locke, Salinas Valley Health Emergency Room Physician. “They are amanita phalloides and are often referred to as death cap mushrooms because they are extremely poisonous. Unknowingly eating these mushrooms can result in liver failure, the need for a liver transplant or even death.”

This usually starts three days after consumption. When your liver dies, you need an immediate transplant, otherwise, a person will die.

“The toxins cannot be destroyed by boiling, cooking, freezing, or drying the mushrooms,” per Britannica.

Britannica says staying hydrated alleviates symptoms. You should, however, seek medical attention immediately if you consume one.

“Interesting, people who eat these mushrooms can start to feel better in 24 hours; however, the toxicity of the mushrooms is still in their body. They can go into liver failure and need a liver transplant. We were fortunate to be able to treat these three patients and to transport them to Stanford Medicine, where they are being treated,” said Locke.

SVH is asking the public to only purchase mushrooms from reputable outlets or grocery stores.

“Foraging for wild mushrooms in our community is common. Unfortunately, death cap mushrooms can be mistaken for traditional, edible, white button mushrooms which is why it is extremely important not to forage for mushrooms or purchase mushrooms that could have been the result of someone foraging for mushrooms,” said Locke.

Death caps are found all over Monterey County and are not toxic if touched, only if consumed. They taste fine and there is no way a person can know that have eaten one until they start showing symptoms.

SVH is asking if anyone has purchased mushrooms from a similar situation and shows symptoms of death cap poisoning you should go to the emergency room.

If you seek attention immediately you can get treatment from the hospital to prevent liver failure.

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

KSBW 8 contacted Salinas police to see if they were investigating the case. They are looking into it.

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