County public health officials are urging residents to avoid foraging for and eating wild mushrooms as amatoxin-related mushroom poisonings continue to rise in parts of the state.
Some wild mushrooms contain amatoxin, a potent toxin that can cause severe liver damage and may be fatal. Cooking, freezing or drying does not destroy amatoxins.
According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), eight new mushroom poisoning cases were reported in the last month as new blooms of amatoxin-containing mushrooms appear across the state, including in parts of Southern California…