4 dead and 3 injured from eating a wild mushroom of the “Artist of Death” type

Four people died and three more needed liver transplants in California in the last few days after eating wild mushrooms of the “artist of death” type (Amanita phalloides), known in English as death cap mushrooms. According to reports in the US, there are dozens of cases of poisoning linked to the mushroom’s widespread bloom following a rainy winter, and the authorities have even called on the public to refrain from gathering mushrooms in the wild for fear of confusing edible and poisonous varieties. Now, it turns out that the same mushroom also grows in Israel.

Also in Israel, cases of poisoning from wild mushrooms are recorded every year. Only in 2025, the center received about 100 inquiries following the eating of wild mushrooms, with four cases defined as moderately severe and two defined as severe. “In most cases, this is exposure without symptoms or with mild symptoms,” explains Dr. Yael Luria, Director of the National Poisoning Information Center at Rambam. According to her, this year, too, a number of severe cases were recorded in Israel after picking mushrooms of the Amita and Mitriini type, which caused damage to the liver and kidneys. “These are a few severe cases every year, but all of them are preventable,” she noted. in dialysis.

Among the hundreds of cap mushroom species that grow in Israel, the most dangerous belong to the genus Amanita andLepiota. Among the most poisonous species in Israel are the death artist (Amanita phalloides), a spring-killing artist (Amanita verna), false artist (Amanita next) and certain species of mitraine.

“It’s usually a misidentification”

“Most of the time it’s a matter of misidentification – the pickers mistakenly identify the mushrooms as edible mushrooms they are familiar with or are unaware of the presence of poisonous wild mushrooms in Israel,” explains Dr. Luria. She emphasizes that mistakes are not limited to the inexperienced. “Even people who pick mushrooms every year and are sure that they know the mushrooms well in their area of ​​residence may make a mistake. There is no identifying mark such as color or smell, and edible mushrooms can look very similar to poisonous mushrooms. The toxins in the poisonous mushrooms from the Amanita family are not destroyed by heat and cooking, not even by prolonged cooking.”

Amnon, an amateur picker who goes out to collect wild mushrooms with friends, tellsmako Health because in the field they often encounter confusion about the identification of the mushrooms – and sometimes try to use artificial intelligence as well. According to him, he and his friends often sent a photograph of mushrooms toChatGPT to check if they are edible, but got different answers for the same mushroom. “A lot of people send me photos of mushrooms and ask if it’s allowed to eat because the chat said it’s okay,” he says. “But you must not rely on it. In identifying mushrooms, a mistake can be dangerous.”

The National Center for Poisoning Information in Rambam emphasizes that cases of poisoning from wild mushrooms are preventable, and urges to avoid eating mushrooms that have not been identified with certainty by an expert.