Officials warn of toxic mushrooms being sold by mobile vendor in Salinas.

Health officials are warning the public to avoid eating mushrooms they may have bought from a truck vendor in Salinas, after three people showed up to the Salinas Valley Health emergency room on Dec. 31 with severe mushroom poisoning.

According to Salinas Valley Health, the early investigation shows that the mushrooms were sold from a truck parked in a supermarket parking lot in East Salinas, but the seller may be operating out of multiple locations.

The mushrooms, known as death caps, look similar in appearance to white button mushrooms, which are safe to eat. Symptoms from eating these poisonous mushrooms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.

While those symptoms may go away after 24 hours, the toxic nature of the mushrooms can cause liver failure and death. Officials advise to seek immediate emergency treatment.

“These are rare cases which is why it is so concerning to have these mushrooms apparently being sold as produce in our community,” Dr. Erica Locke, Salinas Valley Health Emergency Room Physician, said in a press release. “In my nearly 20-year medical career, I have only seen one other case like this.”

Salinas Valley Health reported the instances to the Salinas Police Department and Monterey County Public Health Department. The three patients were treated and transferred to Stanford Medicine.

“Foraging for wild mushrooms in our community is common,” Locke said. “Unfortunately, death cap mushrooms can be mistaken for traditional, edible, white button mushrooms which is why it is extremely important not to forage for mushrooms or purchase mushrooms that could have been the result of someone foraging for mushrooms.”