Victorians are being warned against consuming death cap and yellow-staining mushrooms as the poisonous varieties pop up across the state.
Eating just one death cap mushroom can kill an adult, while yellow-staining mushrooms can cause severe nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Subscribe for FREE to the HealthTimes magazine
Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Angie Bone said cooking, peeling or drying the mushrooms would not make the poison inactive.
She recommended only buying mushrooms from the supermarket or greengrocer.
People should urgently attend an emergency department if they believe they have eaten a death cap or yellow-staining mushroom.
FEATURED JOBS
Apex Radiology - Australia
Deparment Of Health Tasmania
They should also take any remaining mushroom to the hospital for identification.
Symptoms of poisoning generally occur six to 24 hours after ingestion.
Death cap mushrooms are most commonly found growing under oak trees, while the yellow-staining variety grow in lawns and gardens.
Anyone who finds wild mushrooms in their yard should wear disposable gloves to remove and dispose of them.