Report: 14 poisoned by ‘death cap’ mushrooms in California

SAN FRANCISCO – A new report says 14 people were poisoned after eating “death cap” mushrooms last year in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Most recovered but three people needed liver transplants, including an 18-month-old girl who suffered permanent neurological damage, according to Friday’s report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The poisonings occurred over two weeks last December.

The report, compiled by Northern California doctors, says the people ate toxic Amanita phalloides, or “death cap” mushrooms collected from the wild.

The mushrooms can be abundant in wet winter months. The report says they flourished after early rainfall followed by warmer weather.

The report says people should be cautious when collecting or buying wild mushrooms and should let a mycologist — a mushroom expert — examine them before eating.