SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — One person died from mushroom poisoning in Utah after buying what they thought were psychedelic mushrooms — now, experts are offering advice on how to avoid consuming potentially fatal fungi.
Aimee Nguyen, the president of the nonprofit organization Mushroom Society of Utah , told ABC4.com that, while there isn’t much advice for buying mushrooms from other people — “aside from not to do it,” she said — there are some precautions to take before eating wild mushrooms.
Nguyen said the first step when considering eating unknown mushrooms would be to evaluate the mushroom and its habitat, as well as the mushroom’s spore print . She also encouraged consulting literature about mushrooms specific to your location, including region-specific books and websites like MushroomExpert.com .
Advertisement
Is one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms found in Utah?
“Mushrooms are much more difficult to identify once dried, especially for a person without experience identifying various species,” Nguyen said. “It should also be noted that Psilocybe (the genera of most psychoactive mushrooms) has not been confirmed to grow here naturally, so any claim of someone having foraged these should raise suspicion.”
The person who died from mushroom poisoning in Utah suffered severe symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, and liver failure. Officials with the Utah Poison Control Center said psychedelic mushrooms don’t cause liver damage.
The Poison Control Center also said it is “highly unusual” for hepatotoxic mushrooms to be confused with psychedelic mushrooms. Nguyen encouraged people to “get as many identification options” as they can for their mushrooms.
AdvertisementSome options for identifying mushrooms are using region-specific social media groups, or submitting a request through the contact page for the Mushroom Society of Utah . Other options include online resources such as iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer for further assistance in identifying the mushrooms.“Only forage/eat fresh mushrooms from natural habitats,” Nguyen said. “One can easily get sick from microbes on a non-poisonous mushroom that has been rotting, or from chemicals absorbed from tainted soil/wood.”Nguyen also advised against eating uncooked mushrooms, as many can be toxic when consumed raw. Mushrooms should be cooked thoroughly and eaten in […]
Trying to eat wild mushrooms in Utah? Take these steps first, experts warn
