Do not pick, buy, or eat wild mushrooms; any “folk tricks” for identification are useless

In 2025 alone, there were 828 cases of mushroom poisoning across China, affecting 2,165 people, with 13 fatalities. That same year, 34 previously unknown poisonous mushroom species were identified. Myths such as using a silver needle to test for toxicity, assuming mushrooms safe if insects eat them, or that only brightly colored varieties are toxic are all false.

No expense involved. The hard part is giving up a seasonal delicacy.

The Chinese CDC investigated 828 mushroom poisoning cases in 2025 involving 2,165 individuals; the mortality rate was 0.6%. From 2019 to 2024, annual cases ranged from 276 to 676, with mortality rates between 0.87% and 2.86%. In 2025 alone, 138 poisonous mushroom species were identified, including 34 new ones never documented before as causing poisoning.

If you accidentally eat poisonous mushrooms, induce vomiting immediately and then go to the hospital with any remaining mushrooms or photos of them. There are several types of mushroom poisoning, and identifying the exact species is crucial for proper treatment. New poisonous species are discovered each year, so the assumption that “local people can recognize them” is unfounded. Claims such as silver needle testing, cooking with garlic, insect consumption indicating safety, or vivid colors signaling toxicity are all incorrect.

Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks — China, 2025. China CDC Weekly (2026)：「In 2025, China CDC investigated 828 mushroom poisoning incidents across 27 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs), affecting 2,165 individuals and causing 13 deaths - a case fatality rate of 0.6%, the lowest of the past six years. In total, 138 poisonous mushroom species were identified, including 34 newly recorded in poisoning incidents in China.」「From 2019 to 2024, the annual number of incidents ranged from 276 to 676, and the case fatality rate ranged from 0.87% to 2.86%.」https://doi.org/10.46234/ccdcw2026.120；同刊 2024 年度报告 https://doi.org/10.46234/ccdcw2025.106；中国疾病预防控制中心职业卫生所 尹萸、李海蛟 (2019). 防控蘑菇中毒，任重而道远：「方法4：虫食或生蛆的蘑菇无毒。错！」「方法6：与银器、大葱、大蒜、大米同煮可使其变色的蘑菇有毒。错！」「因此，目前没有简单易行、快速有效的识别蘑菇是否有毒的方法」. https://www.chinacdc.cn/jkkp/zyjk/zdzs/201908/t20190802_301109.html；北京市疾病预防控制中心 (2023). 远离毒蘑菇，不做「菇勇者」：「民间流传辨别毒蘑菇的方法，如看颜色和形状、看生长环境、用银器辨毒、看分泌物、看有无生蛆生虫等均不可靠」. https://www.bjcdc.org/cdcmodule/jkfw/yyyspjk/jkyf/swzdyf/2023/35518.shtml；北京市市场监督管理局 (2026). 关于防范误食野生蘑菇中毒的风险提示：「请立即就医，切勿自行处理，以免延误诊疗时机。妥善保存剩余野生蘑菇、食物残渣等样本」. https://scjgj.beijing.gov.cn/zwxx/scjgdt/202606/t20260625_4715961.html