Health warning issued after death cap mushrooms found growing in Sydney

SYDNEY, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have issued a health warning after poisonous mushrooms were found growing in the wild, including in Sydney.

NSW Health said on Tuesday that death cap mushrooms have recently been detected growing in Sydney and neighboring regions to the south of the city, prompting a warning about the health risks of eating wild mushrooms.

Genevieve Adamo, a senior specialist from the NSW Poisons Information Center, said that symptoms of mushroom poisoning can include vomiting, liver and kidney damage and death.

She urged NSW residents to remove any mushrooms growing in their gardens or in parks and to watch children when they are playing outside, particularly around large trees where mushrooms may grow.

There were 23 hospitalizations for the toxic effects of ingested mushrooms in 2024, two of which were children younger than five.

The NSW Poisons Information Center responded to 363 calls regarding exposure to wild mushrooms in 2024 and had received 190 calls in 2025 as of the end of May.

Brett Summerell, chief scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, said that there is no easy and reliable way to identify if a wild mushroom is edible or poisonous.

"We advise people against foraging for, and eating, wild mushrooms," he said in a statement.

The Department of Health in the neighboring southeastern state of Victoria early in May issued a similar warning over wild poisonous mushrooms. ■