Death Cap Mushroom alert ……….as reported in June 2016, Open House

Chefs in the ACT should take extra care when it comes to foraging due to deadly mushrooms that could be growing, after recent weather of heavy rain and sunny days.

The Death Cap mushrooms typically grow in Canberra around late March near oak trees in wet, warm weather and are typically spotted in late summer and autumn.

ACT chief health officer Paul Kelly urged Canberrans to avoid picking or eating wild mushrooms in case they were poisonous.

Symptoms of Death Cap poisoning include stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and generally occur within six to 24 hours of them being eaten.

The symptoms can also subside for one to two days, however, the toxins have already caused serious liver damage, which can lead to liver failure and even death.