Wet, warm weather increases wild mushroom growth, poisoning risk

With this summer’s unusually wet and warm weather, the Minnesota Regional Poison Center has been receiving an increase in calls related to wild mushroom exposures.

How do you tell the difference between an edible mushroom and a poisonous one? In most cases, you can’t! Many wild mushrooms may look like the edible or cultivated mushrooms available in the grocery store and may be difficult to correctly identify in the wild – even for experienced foragers. Mushroom features that help identify an edible mushroom in one region of the United States (or another country) are not reliable for identifying edible mushrooms in another area.

Wild mushroom safety tips:

• Never pick and eat a wild mushroom unless it has been identified by a specially trained mushroom expert. The only safe mushrooms are ones that can be purchased in the grocery store.
• Supervise children while playing in the yard to minimize the chance of accidental ingestions.
• Teach children to ask before eating something they find outdoors.
• Cooking a poisonous mushroom does not make it safe to eat.

Symptoms from eating a poisonous mushroom may not appear for several hours to days. Potential symptoms of mushroom poisoning could include stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. Confusion and seizures can also occur. Some poisonous mushrooms in small amounts can even cause organ failure or death.

If you suspect someone has eaten a wild mushroom, call the Minnesota Regional Poison Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Our poison specialists are here to help you. They work with mushroom identification experts called mycologists to determine if a mushroom is poisonous.

Calling 1-800-222-1222 is free and confidential and is available 24/7 for all Minnesotans. Visit www.mnpoison.org for prevention tips, educational resources, and downloadable materials.

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 The Minnesota Regional Poison Center is designated by the Minnesota Department of Health to provide poison information and consultative services to the entire State of Minnesota. For more information, visit www.mnpoison.org.