Rising Popularity of Mushrooms Brings a Surge in Poisoning Cases, Experts Caution
Freshly sprouted from the lush green lawn, William D Hickman stumbled upon a handful of exquisite mushrooms during his yard work in Windham, Ohio Little did he know, this culinary delight would reveal the boom in mushrooms' popularity, yet also raise concerns about the dangers they pose
While mowing the yard outside his home in Windham, Ohio, William D. Hickman stumbled upon a delightful discovery that he thought would be a delicious addition to his dinner - a beautiful handful of mushrooms had sprouted from the shaggy green lawn. Recalling the moment, the 55-year-old said, "As I'm mowing the ditch, I go by them three or four times, and I'm like, 'Man, those look good.'"
The Hickman family has been mushroom foraging for generations. Hickman, unlike his great-grandparents, used a plant identifier app to confirm that the mushrooms they found were giant puffballs, which are edible. Though Tammy was hesitant about eating something from the yard, she sauteed the mushrooms in butter and garlic and placed them on Hickman's tortellini.
Hickman thought they were deliciousuntil about eight hours later, when he felt like he was going to die.
He nearly did.
William D. Hickman says it was wife Tammy's quick action, along with the help from the doctors at University Hospital, that saved his life.
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Mushrooms have a moment
Foraging for mushrooms has been a part of human history since the Stone Age. However, mycologists nationwide have observed a surge in interest in this hobby as well as a notable rise in cases of mushroom poisoning.
Dr. Matthew Nelsen, a research scientist at the Negaunee Integrative Research Center at the Field Museum in Chicago and the president of the Illinois Mycological Association, described fungi as a current trend that is increasing in popularity.
Mushroom designs are now found on a variety of items such as tea towels, children's sweaters, and table lamps. However, when fascination with mushrooms goes beyond mere decoration to actual foraging, it is important for people to exercise caution.
Dr. Gregory M. Mueller, a prominent fungal conservation expert and the vice president of science at the Chicago Botanic Garden, has noticed that many of the calls they receive are related to children ingesting mushrooms. However, he also emphasizes that there are adults who attempt to forage for mushrooms without proper knowledge. According to Dr. Mueller, many of these adults are unaware of the potential dangers associated with wild mushrooms.
Between January and October, Americas Poison Centers received over 7,250 calls regarding potential mushroom poisonings, marking an 11% increase from the total number of calls received in 2022, which amounted to approximately 6,500 calls for the entire year. This year alone, Ohios poison centers have reported more than 260 mushroom-related calls as of October, with 45% of them resulting in visits to the ER and 33 people being hospitalized. According to Jonathan Colvin, managing director of Drug & Poison Information Center in Ohio, there has been a 25% increase in calls to Ohio Poison Centers about potential mushroom poisonings over the past two years compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Colvin mentioned that it's often unclear if the mushroom findings are related to foraging, but individuals requiring critical treatment for liver or kidney injuries claimed they had consumed misidentified foraged mushrooms. The Hickmans also made a similar call last year.
I know this is the end
The Hickmans went for their usual long walk after the mushroom dinner. Eight hours later, Bill started throwing up and couldnt stop.
Something about this seemed different from the usual symptoms of food poisoning.
"It's like when you're sick and then you start to feel better and can finally get some rest, but for me it just kept going," he explained. There was no relief in sight. The pain was unbearable and he felt incredibly weak.
"It was awful," he said.
Poison control told Tammy Hickman that this mushroom was toxic and that she had to rush her husband to the hospital as soon as she could.
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Tammy rushed back to the yard to collect the remaining mushrooms when her husband didn't show improvement. She quickly took a photo and sent it to poison control. They advised her that her husband had likely ingested a toxic mushroom and that she needed to get him to the hospital immediately.
It was determined that he had consumed a mushroom known as a destroying angel, with just one being powerful enough to be fatal. Unfortunately, Bill had eaten four of them.
Tammy realized something was seriously wrong when her typically stubborn husband didn't resist going to the hospital. At the emergency room, the doctors essentially advised her to start making arrangements.
"When I heard that," Bill said, "and I knew how I felt, I thought, I know this is the end."
Even experts struggle to identify whats safe
Identifying the toxic from the edible mushrooms can be challenging, even for experts, according to mycology instructor Rick Van de Poll. Some mushrooms need to be examined under a microscope to ensure their safety.
Mycology instructor Rick Van de Poll examines a mushroom with a jewelers loupe to try to determine if it is edible or poisonous.
Jen Christensen/CNN
As he hiked through the crackling leaves of Sandwich, New Hampshire this month, his hazel eyes were constantly scanning the nooks and crannies of beech and birch trees. For nearly half a century, he has been exploring the hidden corners of the forest in search of valuable fungi. Some of his finds can fetch hundreds of dollars on the global market.
On a clear autumn day, Van de Poll discovered at least 35 different varieties within a mere 100 feet of a road lined with trees. Laid out on a tall table, some of the fungi resembled inside-out umbrellas with dark centers facing the sun, while others were small with a vivid orange underside. There were also specimens that appeared mustard yellow with a fan of dark gills.
Some are edible, and some are poisonous.
To sell foraged mushrooms in New Hampshire, people have to be certified, but Van de Poll said he has made worrisome discoveries.
"I've removed poisonous mushrooms from the shelves," stated Van de Poll. "We are working to fix that."
He provides classes to assist individuals in identifying edible mushrooms, but only teaches in-person unless it's a broad topic. Van de Poll explained that it's too difficult to identify mushrooms online, and while apps can be useful, they should not be relied upon to determine edibility. He emphasized the importance of using all senses, including smell, to determine which mushrooms are safe to consume, stating that color and structure can also be helpful.
Mushrooms were plentiful this fall in Sandwich, New Hampshire.
Dr. Kathy LeSaint, an emergency room physician in San Francisco, emphasized the difficulty of identifying edible mushrooms even with modern technology. She recalled a specific period in 2016 when the Bay Area had 14 patients poisoned by mushrooms.
According to LeSaint's paper for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not all of the cases were linked, but they all shared one common factor: death cap mushrooms. These deadly mushrooms, including the ones Hickman consumed, belong to the Amanita genus, which also includes destroying angels. Research indicates that out of over 5,000 mushroom species, about 50 are toxic to humans. The majority of mushroom-poisoning deaths are caused by death caps and related species with the same toxin.
In the Bay Area cases, all patients who consumed death caps survived, but three required liver transplants. Unfortunately, a child who had a liver transplant also experienced permanent neurological issues.
LeSaint emphasized, "The potential cost of severe poisoning and even death is a very real concern."
"The challenge with the Amanita species is their diverse appearances, causing a potential problem," she explained. Submitting a photo to an app captures only one viewpoint, while all perspectives must be considered. "Even the guidebooks may depict a death cap in a specific way, but it can exhibit a range of colors, with none appearing identical." Van de Poll, the instructor from New Hampshire, emphasized that despite the risks, he strongly advocates foraging.
In 1985, Miriam C. Rice's pioneering research on extracting pigment from mushrooms revealed a complete range of colors, including soft lavenders, deep reds, and rich earth tones.
Carla Sundstrom and Felicia Rice/Courtesy Atelier Editions
The surprising story of how clothing dyes are made from mushrooms, snails, and plant roots. "Mushrooms have numerous health benefits," he explained. Studies have shown that mushrooms are rich in vitamin D, low in sodium, and can promote a healthy gut, support the immune system, reduce cancer risk, lower cholesterol, and protect brain health.
For beginners aiming to stay safe, Van de Poll suggests focusing on learning a few easily identifiable mushrooms and seeking guidance from trusted experts. It's important to consult someone with more knowledge than yourself to ensure reliable and safe information.
Dr. LeSaint emphasized the importance of foragers exercising extreme caution when hunting for mushrooms. She stressed the need to go with someone experienced in mushroom identification to avoid potentially fatal consequences.
An experimental antidote
When Bill Hickman picked a toxic mushroom in September 2022, he could have benefitted from the guidance of an expert. Due to the risk of liver and kidney failure, he was transferred from his local hospital to University Hospital in Cleveland.
Dr. Pierre Gholam, a hepatologist at University Hospital, has successfully treated numerous cases of mushroom poisoning and has played a key role in obtaining an experimental antidote. "While the antidote is not yet FDA-approved, it has shown to be highly effective," he stated.
After accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms, William D. Hickman had to be hospitalized in Cleveland. It took six months to feel like himself again.
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The antidote, an extract from a milk thistle plant called silibinin, needs to be delivered quickly to counter the effects of toxins on the liver.
"Administer the antidote as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours of ingesting the poison," Gholam emphasized. He has observed that silibinin benefits roughly 30% to 50% of patients, and he advocates for its wider distribution in hospitals. With the increase in mushroom foraging and warmer climate, there may be a greater need for this antidote.
Gholam has successfully treated 11 cases of mushroom poisoning this year, with no reported fatalities. The antidote administered to Hickman came just in time and has proven to be effective in saving his life, despite not being effective for everyone.
The video shows Hickman, typically in good shape, taking slow steps down the hospital corridor in his gown, with Tammy at his side, urging him on as he holds onto his IV pole. It took him at least six months to start feeling physically and mentally back to his usual self.
He still gets choked up when he talks about it.
"There are a lot of people involved to make it happen to save me," he said, his voice catching.
The couple expressed their immense gratitude to Tammy for gifting the staff at University Hospital with baskets filled with vibrant mushroom-shaped cookies. "It felt like a miracle to see everything fall into place like that. It truly felt like a miracle to me," she said.
William D. Hickman's tattoo starts where doctors injected him with an antidote and ends of the mushrooms he ate and the milk thistle plant that saved him.
John Bonifield/CNN
In the year or so since Hickman got sick, he has become even more interested in mushrooms. He sticks to photographing them, though, rather than picking them.
Hickman expressed his fascination with the abundance of mushrooms he sees everywhere. A tattoo adorns his arm, beginning at the site where doctors administered the antidote to him. The tattoo ends in a depiction of four small mushrooms and the milk thistle that played a crucial role in his recovery.
"I've never had as many books about mushrooms as I do now," Hickman said. "But I'll never eat one again. The other day, I found some that my app said were edible, but I didn't believe it."
If you're worried that you've consumed a toxic mushroom, contact the Health Resources and Services Administration's Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 or visit poisonhelp.org for more resources.
