Tasmanians have been urged to avoid picking wild mushrooms as deadly deathcap mushrooms crop up in the North.
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They were first discovered growing in Tasmania last year and the poison from one mushroom can kill a healthy adult if eaten.
Symptoms, which often don’t appear until more than 10 hours after eating, include vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
People may slip into a coma and die of liver and kidney failure after a couple of weeks.
Deathcap mushrooms, known as Amanita phalloides, are smooth with a yellowish-green to olive-brown cap, white stem, cup-like structure around the base and membranous skirt on the stem.
They have previously been found at City Park in Launceston.
Food Safety Information Council chairwoman Rachelle Williams said foraging for wild food was becoming a popular activity, but gathering wild mushrooms could be a lethal risk.
“Deathcap mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from other wild mushrooms so we recommend you play it safe and only eat mushrooms that you have purchased from the supermarket, greengrocer or other reputable source,” Ms Williams said.
“Nine out of ten deaths from mushroom poisoning in Australia result from deathcap mushrooms. However there are other wild mushrooms in Australia that, while not fatal, can make you ill with abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.”
The Australian Poison Information Centre received close to 900 calls about possible wild mushroom poisoning in the last year.
“If you suspect you may have eaten a deathcap mushroom don’t wait for any symptoms to occur but go to a hospital emergency department taking a sample of the mushroom with you if you can. You can also contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24/7 hotline),” she said.