Death cap mushrooms are currently popping up around Canberra and growth is expected to increase as we head into autumn.
Do not touch, pick or eat any wild mushrooms. Eating even a small amount of a death cap mushroom can cause death.
It’s very hard to tell a death cap mushroom apart from other types of mushrooms and can be easily mistaken for edible mushrooms. All parts of the mushroom are poisonous whether they have been cooked, dried, soaked or frozen.
Symptoms of poisoning generally occur 6 to 24 hours or more after eating mushrooms, and include pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone who thinks they may have eaten a death cap mushroom should go straight to the nearest Emergency Department. Do not wait for symptoms to appear – the sooner you get treatment, the better your chance of survival.
If you think a death cap mushroom may be growing in a public area, report it to Access Canberra on 13 22 81.