What began as a cluster of hospitalizations in the Monterey Bay area last November has grown into the worst wild mushroom poisoning outbreak California has ever recorded — and it is far from finished. As of May 22, 2026, state health officials confirmed 50 cases of amatoxin poisoning across Northern California and the Central Coast, a number that dwarfs the previous worst outbreak of 14 cases recorded in 2016. Four people are dead. At least four others required liver transplants to survive. In a typical year, California sees fewer than five such cases total.
The culprits are two species of fungi: the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) and the Western Destroying Angel (Amanita ocreata). Both grow abundantly in Northern California, particularly near oaks and hardwoods, and both bear a striking — often fatal — resemblance to several edible mushroom varieties familiar to foragers from across the world. The danger is compounded by the fact that the mushrooms remain fully toxic after cooking, boiling, freezing, or drying. There is no safe preparation method.
