South Australians heading outdoors as the weather turns colder are reminded not to pick and eat wild mushrooms.
The Department for Health and Wellbeing’s Scientific Services Branch Director, Dr David Simon, said while some wild mushrooms might look like common varieties found on supermarket shelves, ingesting them can cause serious illness or even death.
“Mushroom poisoning causes violent stomach cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea,” Dr Simon said.
“It can take several hours for the symptoms to appear and they can last for up to three days.
“This year’s mushroom season has coincided with more people being at home and we have noticed the seasonal increase in the number of calls to our Poisons Information Hotline asking for help after eating ingesting mushrooms have begun earlier this year.
“It’s especially important to keep an eye on children and pets outside as mushrooms are easily in reach and can look interesting and attractive to eat.
“We need to look out for each other and keep each other safe and out of hospital, particularly right now in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and with flu season just around the corner.”
Around two-thirds of all calls to the hotline about mushroom poisoning involve children less than five years-of-age, with 21 of the 30 calls this year involving young children and five of these being referred to hospital.
Pets are also at risk of dying after eating poisonous mushrooms and owners should immediately seek veterinary attention if they suspect their pets have eaten wild mushrooms.
Senior Botanist for the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia, Dr Teresa Lebel, said people should only eat mushrooms that have been purchased from a reliable green-grocer or supermarket.
“There is no simple test that will tell you if a mushroom is safe to eat or not and even experts can have difficulty identifying certain species,” Dr Lebel said.
“Poisonous mushrooms sprout across South Australia just after heavy rain, usually between late summer to early winter when the earth is still warm.
“A major problem is that species such as the Death Cap can be easily mistaken for the Stubble Rosegill Volvopluteus gloiocephalus and with fatal results, since the latter species is very similar to the Paddy Straw Mushroom Volvariella volvacea, a delicacy in Asian cuisine.
“People born overseas, particularly from Asian countries, should be aware that these highly toxic mushrooms can look like edible mushrooms.”
If you suspect you or someone you know has eaten a wild mushroom, do not wait for symptoms to occur, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 and they will advise if it is necessary to seek medical attention.
In an emergency, always call triple zero (000).
For more information visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/mushroompoisoning.
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