Eleven members of an Amish family in the US, including children, have been taken to hospital after ingesting toxic mushrooms, oficial say. Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company described the poisoning as a “mass casualty incident” in Peach Bottom Township in York County, Pennsylvania.
The fire department told local news that a member of the family had told authorities they became sick after eating wild mushrooms that one of them “found in the woods and brought home for dinner”.
The family member who reported the illnesses walked about half a mile (0.8km) to call for help as the family does not have a telephone, a spokesman for the fire department said. Six ambulances took the patients to hospital. The Pennsylvania State Police were also called to the scene. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends consulting with a knowledgeable expert to properly identify mushrooms that are safe to eat, and says it is much safer to get mushrooms from grocery stores or professional mushroom farms.
There are about 250 varieties of poisonous wild mushrooms found across North America, according to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
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A Foraging Outing Gone Wrong
The family, whose names have not been released, had been on a weekend hike in the picturesque Appalachian Mountains when they decided to pick wild mushrooms they believed were safe to eat. After returning home and preparing a meal with their findings, the family soon began experiencing severe symptoms, including vomiting, stomach pain, and dizziness.
Emergency services were called, and the entire family was transported to a nearby hospital. Doctors quickly identified mushroom poisoning as the cause and administered treatments to prevent further complications. Fortunately, all four family members are now in stable condition, though they will remain under observation for the next few days.
Mushroom Poisoning: A Hidden Danger
Mushroom foraging has gained popularity in recent years, with many people enjoying the idea of harvesting fresh, wild food. However, experts warn that mushroom identification can be extremely difficult, even for seasoned foragers. Some toxic mushrooms closely resemble edible varieties, and a single mistake can have serious or even fatal consequences.
In this case, the family likely mistook a toxic species for a common edible mushroom. According to medical staff, the symptoms they experienced were consistent with poisoning by Amanita species, a group of mushrooms known for their toxicity. Some species within this group, such as the deadly Amanita phalloides, are responsible for the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.
Dr. Sarah Blake, a toxicologist at the hospital where the family was treated, emphasized the importance of caution when foraging. “Even experienced foragers can make mistakes,” she said. “If you’re not 100% certain about a mushroom’s identity, it’s safer not to eat it. The consequences of eating the wrong type of mushroom can be severe.”
How to Stay Safe When Foraging
While foraging can be a fun and rewarding activity, experts recommend a few key steps to stay safe:
Learn from experts: If you’re new to mushroom foraging, consider taking a course or going on a guided foraging walk with an expert who can teach you how to identify mushrooms safely. Use multiple sources: Rely on more than one guidebook or app for mushroom identification, as different resources may emphasize different features.
When in doubt, throw it out: If you’re not completely certain that a mushroom is safe, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid eating it. Be aware of regional differences: Mushrooms that are safe in one area may have toxic look-alikes in another region, so it’s important to be familiar with local species.
A Cautionary Tale
For the family involved, this incident serves as a frightening reminder of how easily a fun activity can take a dangerous turn. In a statement released by the hospital, the family expressed gratitude for the quick response of emergency services and urged others to exercise caution when foraging.
“We’re incredibly lucky that things didn’t turn out worse,” they said. “We thought we were being careful, but we now realize how much we didn’t know.”
As the popularity of foraging continues to grow, incidents like this highlight the importance of education and safety. With proper knowledge and caution, foraging can be a safe and enjoyable way to connect with nature—but without it, a single meal can lead to a medical emergency.
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