Deadly mushrooms are popping up in Australian backyards in alarming numbers, with health authorities warning the cool, wet autumn has created ideal conditions for toxic species to flourish.
Experts are urging extreme caution, particularly for families with young children and pet owners, as the poisonous fungi pose a fatal risk if consumed.
And their message is united, “don’t touch it.”
Mycologists report a significant surge in wild mushrooms appearing in parks and fields throughout the country, with the notorious Death Cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) often found growing near oak trees.
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This highly toxic species is responsible for the vast majority of mushroom-related fatalities, with over 400 calls for assistance related to mushroom exposure made to The Victorian Poisons Information Centre last year alone.
Mycologist Tom May with a potentially deadly mushroom Credit: 7NEWS
In South Australia, around 33 per cent of calls made to the Poisons Information Centre involved children under the age of five.
The dangerous fungi are most prevalent in Victoria, South Australia, and Canberra, where the soil remains wet and crisp during the cooler months, providing a perfect environment for their growth.
Experts stress that the ability to correctly identify dangerous mushrooms can literally be the difference between life and death.
“This is a Death Cap mushroom, and it’s an incredibly dangerous mushroom. It can potentially cause death if ingested,” Mycologist Tom May explained to 7NEWS.
“It has a number of specific characters. It’s usually yellow or greenish on the cap. It can be white or brown. It has this cup at the base of the stem. So it’s an important one to be aware of and definitely to avoid.”
The Victorian Poisons Information Centre received more than 400 calls for help relating to mushroom exposure last year. Credit: 7NEWS
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said one of the biggest dangers was that poisonous mushrooms could look harmless, and even experts struggled to identify them correctly.
“There is no reliable way of identifying if a wild mushroom is safe to eat, and you can’t tell if a mushroom is poisonous by its taste or if an animal has eaten it,” she said.
“Identifying some species can be difficult even for experts, so you should only ever eat mushrooms that have been purchased from a reliable greengrocer or supermarket.”
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning include severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, which may take several hours to appear.
The notorious Death Cap mushroom grows in backyards and parks. Credit: 7NEWS
This can progress to life-threatening liver failure depending on the species.
If a person or pet has eaten a wild mushroom, authorities say not to wait for symptoms to appear.
Immediate medical or veterinary advice should be sought.
People can contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, call 000 in an emergency, or phone 1300 869 738 for pets.
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