Minnesota poison control centers see spike in mushroom exposure calls
MINNEAPOLIS — Mushroom foraging has become a popular hobby in recent years. Thanks to Minnesota's warm and wet summer, the opportunities seem endless for foragers, with mushrooms flourishing under the weather conditions.
While some mushrooms are safe to eat, other wild mushrooms can be deadly.
"We've seen a lot more mushroom exposures," said Dr. Lesley Pepin, the Associate Medical Director at the Minnesota Regional Poison Center.
Since April, the Minnesota Regional Poison Center says it has received 90 calls for potential exposures. Last year during that same time period they received 26 calls.
"Certainly, a lot more mistakes with children finding mushrooms in their yard, and I think adults making errors thinking they're finding edible mushrooms when they were mushrooms that make you a little bit sicker," Pepin said.
Fortunately, most cases have been mild. But ingesting some toxic mushrooms may require immediate medical care. The destroying angel mushroom, for example, doesn't cause symptoms for hours and can lead to organ failure.
Professional foraging teacher Tim Clemens recently found some destroying angels. He said it's important people identify the mushrooms before consuming them, adding cooking toxic mushrooms doesn't rid them of their toxicity.
"Some are delicious and some are deadly," Clemens said.
He said foragers should utilize credible books, experts and experience to identify mushrooms in the wild. Common mushrooms found in yards can often make people sick if consumed.
"If you have a dog or a child, go out, pick them, and maybe put them in your compost pile or get rid of them. Denying access to those mushrooms is probably the best you can do," he suggested.
He said when in doubt, throw it out.
"Don't eat anything if you don't know what it is," he said.
If you suspect someone has eaten a wild mushroom, call the Minnesota Regional Poison Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Their poison specialists work with mushroom identification experts called mycologists to determine if a mushroom is poisonous.
Calling 1-800-222-1222 is free and confidential and is available 24/7 for all Minnesotans.
Visit www.mnpoison.org for prevention tips, educational resources, and downloadable materials.