California Department of Public Health

Rule Changes

Leads statewide response, advisories, and clinician guidance on the mushroom outbreak

From mid-November 2025 through mid-January 2026, California has faced an escalating outbreak of amatoxin poisoning from foraged wild mushrooms, primarily death caps (Amanita phalloides), with the California Poison Control System (CPCS) identifying 39 hospitalized cases across Northern and Central California counties including Monterey, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and others. The cluster has resulted in four adult deaths, three liver transplants, and severe liver injuries affecting patients from 19 months to 67 years, including family groups, prompting repeated statewide advisories from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urging residents to avoid all wild mushroom foraging during the rainy season.

Updated Feb 6