The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) says 2019 is on track to be a record year for mushroom poisoning calls across the province.
As of the end of September, there have been 201 such calls, compared to 202 in all of 2018 and 161 in all of 2017.
Poison control pharmacist Raymond Li says about two-thirds of the calls involve children under the age of five.
Fortunately, there hasn’t been a fatal case involving a child since 2016.
Li says the BCCDC is reminding mushroom hunters, parents and pet owners to be vigilant, and his message is simple: “If you are unsure, don’t eat it!”
Death cap mushrooms are particularly dangerous because of their resemblance to edible varieties of mushrooms. They can be mistaken for edible puffballs when young or the Asian straw mushroom when older.
Death cap mushrooms have been popping up increasingly in parts of B.C., including Victoria, Southern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.