Victorians are being reminded to be vigilant, with poisonous mushrooms becoming present in the community during autumn as the weather becomes wetter and cooler.
Victorian chief health officer Dr Christian McGrath is encouraging Victorians to be on the lookout for wild mushrooms growing in home gardens and publicly accessible areas.
Poisonous mushrooms including death cap mushrooms and yellow-staining mushrooms become more evident in Victoria at this time of year, and initial symptoms of poisoning can include stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Dr McGrath said it was important to remove any wild mushrooms growing in home gardens to avoid young children and pets coming into any contact with them.
“Adults and children should not touch wild mushrooms with their bare hands, let alone eat them, and animals should be kept well away from them,” Dr McGrath said.
“Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness. Consuming a death cap mushroom can be fatal.”
With no home test available to distinguish safe and edible mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms, it is recommended to only eat mushrooms that are bought from the supermarket, greengrocer or another reputable source.
“Unless you are an expert, do not pick and eat wild mushrooms,” Dr McGrath said.
Wild mushrooms growing in home gardens should only be removed by wearing gloves, carefully placing them in a bag and disposing of them in a closed general waste (landfill) rubbish bin.
If you or anyone in your care may have eaten a poisonous mushroom, do not wait for symptoms to occur. Call the Victorian Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) for appropriate advice.
If a person has trouble breathing, collapsed, is having a fit or is suffering an anaphylactic reaction, immediately call 000 for an ambulance. Do not call the Victorian Poisons Information Centre in an emergency.
If your pet has ingested a wild mushroom, contact the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 for advice.
