Poisonous Mushroom Calls Spike In MN During Wet, Warm Summer

TWIN CITIES, MN — The Minnesota Regional Poison Center is warning residents after receiving an increase in calls related to wild mushroom exposures. The agency cites this summer’s unusually wet and warm weather for the spike.

It may be impossible to tell an edible mushroom and a poisonous one, officials note.

"Many wild mushrooms may look like the edible or cultivated mushrooms available in the grocery store and may be difficult to correctly identify in the wild – even for experienced foragers," the poison center said.

"Mushroom features that help identify an edible mushroom in one region of the United States (or another country) are not reliable for identifying edible mushrooms in another area."

The agency provides the following tips for staying safe around wild mushrooms:

Never pick and eat a wild mushroom unless it has been identified by a specially trained mushroom expert. The only safe mushrooms are ones that can be purchased in the grocery store.

Supervise children while playing in the yard to minimize the chance of accidental ingestions.

Teach children to ask before eating something they find outdoors.

Cooking a poisonous mushroom does not make it safe to eat.

Symptoms from eating a poisonous mushroom — which may not appear for several hours to days — can include stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, confusion, and seizures.

Some poisonous mushrooms in small amounts can even cause organ failure or death, officials noted.

If you suspect someone has eaten a wild mushroom, call the Minnesota Regional Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. The center works with mycologists to determine if a mushroom is poisonous.