Poisonous mushrooms causing illness at Lake Tahoe

There’s a mushroom sprouting in the Lake Tahoe Basin that’s poisonous and may cause health issues for both humans and pets.

The Amanita muscaria mushroom is red with white spots and white gills, and eating it can cause gastrointestinal and possibly neurological issues. It is attractive to children because of its bright colors. It also resembles mushrooms in Super Mario video games and Smurf cartoon shows. Cases of accidental exposure in children have already been reported at Lake Tahoe.

Barton Health is alerting the community after seeing some cases in the Emergency Department.

The mushroom’s proliferation may be due to the cooler and wet weather. But regardless of its cause, please make sure to avoid it.

Many wild mushrooms are poisonous, and it is important not to ingest any mushroom without confirming it is safe.

If you or a person you know has ingested a mushroom that may be poisonous, please call poison control at 800.222.1222 or call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Additional resources and information on poisonous mushrooms can be found on poison control's website.