Victoria’s chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, has issued a warning of poisonous mushrooms growing in Victoria.
Poisonous mushrooms, including the death cap and yellow-staining mushrooms, appear in Victoria during autumn, as the weather becomes wetter and cooler.
Dr McGrath warned that consuming even a single death cap mushroom could result in death. He said cooking, peeling or drying these mushrooms did not remove or inactivate the poison.
There is no home test available to distinguish safe and edible mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms.
Mushrooms purchased from a supermarket, greengrocer or other reputable source are safe to eat.
Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness.
Children should not touch wild mushrooms with their bare hands and animals should be kept away from them.
Pets can develop a range of illness from eating wild mushrooms including gastroenteritis-type syndrome to severe life-threatening disease and death. Dogs are more likely than cats to ingest mushrooms.
Residents are advised to remove any mushrooms growing in home gardens, using gloves and placing the mushrooms in a plastic bag for disposal in their general waste bin.
If you suspect 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, seven days a week, Australia wide) for appropriate advice.
