Four people have died and three others have required liver transplants after eating the aptly named death cap mushroom that is proliferating in California following a rainy winter. via Associated PressSAN DIEGO (AP) — Four people have died and three others have required liver transplants after eating the aptly named death cap mushroom that is proliferating in California following a rainy winter. The California Department of Public Health is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year because death cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties. AdvertisementExperts warn that a mushroom’s color is not a reliable way of detecting its toxicity, and whether the death cap variety is raw, dried or cooked does not make a difference. Death cap mushrooms have been collected in local and national parks across Northern California and the Central Coast.

Source: Huffington Post February 07, 2026 00:41 UTC