Four people die after eating lethal poisonous mushrooms as authorities issue urgent warning

California health officials are warning the public to avoid foraging for wild mushrooms entirely this year after a dramatic surge in potentially fatal Death Cap poisonings. Nearly 40 people have been hospitalised so far - way above the usual annual figure of fewer than five cases - according to state health authorities. The deadly mushrooms have spread rapidly following a wet winter and are especially dangerous because they closely resemble edible varieties. Craig Smollin, medical director at