Poisonous wild mushrooms when eaten can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain or cramps, diarrhoea, hallucinations, kidney and liver failure and even death.
There is no easy way to tell the difference between an edible mushroom and a poisonous mushroom. To avoid the risk of poisoning it is recommended that you only eat mushrooms you get from a reputable supermarket, grocer or market.
If you are concerned about someone who has eaten wild mushrooms, do not wait for symptoms to occur. Contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 right away (available 24 hours, 7 days a week).
In an emergency, call 000 for an ambulance or seek treatment from your doctor or the Emergency Department of your nearest hospital.
Mushrooms are the part of a fungus that is typically produced above ground to enable the fungus to reproduce.
Many types of fungi grow wild in Australia and produce a variety of mushrooms, some which look very similar even though they come from different fungi. While some mushrooms that grow in the wild can be eaten, some are poisonous and can make you very sick and some are even deadly.
Eating wild mushrooms that contain toxic substances can cause mushroom poisoning. Many mushroom poisonings happen when people mistake poisonous mushrooms for edible types.
Cooking, boiling or heating wild mushrooms does not make them safe to eat. Due to the risk of poisoning it is best to avoid eating wild mushrooms.
Everyone can become unwell from eating poisonous wild mushrooms.
Eating poisonous wild mushrooms can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain or cramps, diarrhoea and hallucinations. Some mushrooms can cause liver failure, kidney failure and death. You may become unwell 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating the mushroom depending on the type of mushroom, how much you had eaten and your general health.
There is no easy way to tell the difference between a wild mushroom that you can eat and a poisonous mushroom. It is recommended that you only eat mushrooms you get from a reputable supermarket, grocer or market.
If you go on an organised tour in New South Wales to pick wild Saffron Milkcap mushrooms (Lactarius deliciosus) or Slippery Jack mushrooms (Suillus luteus) in a pine forest, it is important that you are aware of the risks of mistaking poisonous mushrooms from those that you can eat. Do not pick and eat wild mushrooms outside of an organised tour.
If you are concerned about mushroom poisoning, do not wait for symptoms to occur. Contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 right away (available 24 hours, 7 days a week).