Foragers be warned: A highly toxic and potentially lethal mushroom has been sprouting up in B.C. communities.
The BC Centre for Disease Control is warning mushroom hunters of the seasonal appearances of Amanita phalloides, also known as the death cap mushroom.
The warning comes after calls to the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre about poisonous foraged mushrooms nearly doubled in July.
The death cap mushroom isn’t native to the province and has likely been introduced through imported hardwood trees, such as hornbeam.
The fungus can live in the roots of trees for up to 50 years before it emerges.
Recent sightings have mostly been contained to Vancouver, but the mushroom has also appeared in the Victoria area and the Fraser Valley.
It was first discovered in Vancouver in 2008.
Nobody has died from ingesting a death cap mushroom in B.C., but it is believed to have killed more people worldwide than any other mushroom.
Symptoms experienced after ingesting one include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, liver failure and kidney failure.
The BCCDC says foragers shouldn’t eat anything they’re unsure about, only pick and eat mushrooms that are easily identifiable and only eat small amounts.
If you think you’ve eaten a toxic mushroom, call the DPIC at 1-800-567-8911 or call 911.
