<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australians"><span>Australians</span></a><span> have been urged not to pick wild mushrooms, as wild weather has led to more deathcap mushrooms growing in parts of the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The changing season and wetter </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/weather" rel="" target="_blank" title="weather"><span>weather</span></a><span> across Australia means more wild mushrooms are growing, but experts say one wrong move when backyard foraging could turn into a deadly mistake.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This is because the deathcap mushroom can grow after periods of heavy rain, and are almost impossible to distinguish from wild mushrooms that are safe to eat.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-23-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/ab76975a-165f-4487-9116-2b60ba5a4a4e" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Aussies cop $56 billion hit as shares plunge to 10-month low</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The deathcap mushroom is found in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/canberra" rel="" target="_blank" title="Canberra"><span>Canberra</span></a><span>, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="_blank" title="Melbourne"><span>Melbourne</span></a><span>, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/adelaide" rel="" target="_blank" title="Adelaide"><span>Adelaide</span></a><span>, and parts of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-south-wales" rel="" target="_blank" title="New South Wales"><span>New South Wales</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/tasmania" rel="" target="_blank" title="Tasmania"><span>Tasmania</span></a><span>. They are highly poisonous and cannot be made safe to eat by cooking or freezing them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The poison in one Deathcap Mushroom, if eaten, is enough to kill a healthy adult," Lydia Butchmann from the Food Safety Information Council said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Symptoms of deathcap mushroom poisoning can include vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps and usually appear 10 to 16 hours after eating.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/deathcap-mushrooms-australia-foraging-warning-wet-weather/363dc822-6d5e-4734-9779-4f11f220cc5f" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Without quick medical intervention, people can die due to liver and kidney failure.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/daylight-savings-2026-when-does-it-end-australia-what-to-do-clocks-april-explainer/557ba184-b801-488a-8ded-d2e063cf3e21"><strong><span>Millions of Aussies to get an extra hour of sleep as daylight saving set to end</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Food Safety Council said children and pets are at high risk of accidentally ingesting the mushroom, and said Aussies who see suspicious-looking mushrooms in their backyard should remove them safely.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2023, three people died in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="_blank" title="Victoria"><span>Victoria</span></a><span> after eating a beef wellington laced with deathcap mushrooms at a lunch hosted by </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/erin-patterson" rel="" target="_blank" title="Erin Patterson"><span>Erin Patterson</span></a><span>. One person survived after nearly two months in hospital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patterson was tried and found guilty of three counts of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/murder" rel="" target="_blank" title="murder"><span>murder</span></a><span> and one count of attempted murder last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of 33 years' imprisonment. Patterson is currently appealing her sentence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>