’Death Cap’ Mushroom Leaves One Dead

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<DIV =timedate>Mon Nov 29, 9:20 PM ET</DIV></TD>
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CBS5.com Staff


A dangerous type of mushroom growing wild in the Bay Area has left one person dead and three others seriously ill.



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Alameda County Health officials say the victims picked the so-called "death cap" mushrooms over the holiday weekend somewhere in the Oakland Hills. All four were hospitalized two days later, and one died Monday afternoon.





The wet weather has produced an explosion of mushrooms, and health officials say you should never take a chance with the fungi.





"It's just taking unnecessary risks to harvest wild mushrooms for consumption when you don't know exactly what you are doing," said Dr. Anthony Iton of the Alameda County Health Department. "This is a devastating illness."





Despite frequent warnings about wild mushrooms, there have been more than 900 cases of mushroom poisoning reported statewide so far this year.