Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer has joined the Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC) to issue a public warning on the dangers of wild mushrooms as the numbers of poisonings in the community double.
Deputy Chief Health Officer, Angie Bone said recent wet weather conditions were ideal for poisonous mushrooms which sprouted across Victoria.
“Symptoms of poisoning can include violent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea,” Dr Bone said.
“Symptoms may subside after a day or two, but in the case of Death Cap mushrooms this doesn’t necessarily mean recovery,” she said.
“Death can follow within 48 hours from serious liver damage.”
Dr Bone said poisonous mushrooms could appear very similar to edible varieties, so people should not pick or eat wild mushrooms unless they were an expert.
She said the Death Cap mushroom was extremely toxic and responsible for 90 per cent of all mushroom poisoning deaths.
Manager ofVPIC, Rohan Elliott said there had been a 50 per cent increase in calls about mushrooms this year, with the number of callers who experienced symptoms doubling.
Mr Elliott said there had also been an increase in calls from hospital emergency departments seeking advice on treatment for mushroom poisoning.
He said the Centre was concerned about people ingesting the Death Cap and the Yellow Staining mushroom.
He said eating just one Death Cap could kill an adult and cooking or drying them doesn’t deactivate the poison.
