Mushroom poisonings on the rise in New Jersey for second straight summer

New Jersey has seen a spike in mushroom poisonings for the second summer in a row due to soaking rains and soaring temperatures, officials said this week. 

The New Jersey Poison Control Center has received 38 reports of mushroom poisonings since July 1.  Of those,13 were serious enough to warrant visits to the emergency room.

"We're having a hell of a summer again," Bruce Ruck, managing director of the Poison Control Center, said Wednesday. "Our phone has been ringing almost every day with another case."

The Poison Control Center, a division of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, had seen a few dozen cases each summer before last year, when wet weather caused an explosion of wild mushrooms that led to a rash of poisonings. 

Patients complained of intense vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Mushroom poisoning can also damage vital organs like the liver and even lead to death.

The Poison Control Center has fielded calls from 15 counties so far this summer. The ages of those poisoned ranged from a 9-month-old to a 70-year-old.

"The kid was on the lawn and just grabbed a mushroom," Ruck said of the 9-month-old. "It’s not uncommon for little children to do it when the adults are not looking. Any toddler that puts his or her hands in her mouth is susceptible."

Hunting:Fungi fanatics find a plethora of mushrooms in New Jersey woods

Many toxic mushrooms resemble edible ones. For instance, the poisonous Jack O'Lantern mushroom found in New Jersey can easily resemble an edible chanterelle. Eating even a few bites of certain mushrooms can cause severe illness.

“Even experienced mushroom pickers are fooled by toxic look-a-likes at times,” said Dr. Diane Calello, executive director of the Poison Control Center.

The story continues after the gallery.

In addition to the human cases, seven pets have been poisoned this summer after they ate toxic mushrooms.

Ruck believes there are many more cases that haven't been reported to officials.

Ruck strongly recommends destroying any wild mushrooms that are found in backyards, especially if children or pets live nearby. 

"With all the cases we've had this summer, we're lucky we haven't had any deaths," he said.

What to do if someone may have eaten a poisonous mushroom:

• Do not wait for symptoms to appear or spend time searching the internet for next steps.
• Call the New Jersey Poison Control Center’s Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. The service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to New Jersey residents. 
• Remove any remaining parts of the mushroom from the person’s mouth and place those fragments into a paper bag for later identification. A plastic bag may help decompose the mushroom, Ruck said.
• Take a digital photograph of the mushrooms in question next to an object to give  sense of scale.