Thursday, March 28, 2024

Island Health warns Greater Victoria residents of potentially fatal death cap mushrooms

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Death cap mushrooms are back in bloom across Greater Victoria, according to the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

On Monday afternoon, Island Health issued an advisory about potentially fatal Amanita phalloides or “Death Cap” mushroom in Greater Victoria.

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These mushrooms can cause serious poisoning and may be lethal if ingested by people, particularly children, and pets.

Last week, a 16-week-old puppy died at the Victoria Humane Society after consuming what authorities suspect were death cap mushrooms.

Back in 2016, a 3-year-old boy passed away after eating a death cap mushroom he had foraged in downtown Victoria.

Anyone who suspects they may have consumed a death cap mushroom is asked to go to their nearest hospital immediately, call the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre at 1-800-567-8911 or call 911, and keep a sample of the mushroom for testing.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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