A child was hospitalised on Tuesday after eating a poisonous mushroom, just a month after a similar incident.
"A young child was admitted to an ACT hospital yesterday after consuming a death cap mushroom," ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said in a statement.
"Canberrans should remember that it is never safe to pick and eat wild mushrooms."
The chief health officer warned that death cap mushrooms can be lethal, whether uncooked or not, and are easily mistaken for edible mushrooms.
She also said people should not touch wild mushrooms with bare hands and should keep children and animals away from them.
"If you think you may have eaten a death cap mushroom, seek urgent medical attention at a hospital emergency department even if there are no symptoms," Dr Coleman said.
"Take any remaining mushroom to the hospital for identification taking precautions to reduce physical contact with the item, if possible."
A young child presented to a Canberra emergency department on March 18 after eating a death cap mushroom, while three people presented to hospitals in November 2021 after ingesting poisonous mushrooms.
Symptoms include pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and generally occur six to 24 hours or more after consumption. Chances of survival increase when treatment is started early, health authorities said in their statement.
Death cap mushrooms grow in areas across the ACT, often near established oak trees.
The territory government inspects known, public, high-yielding sites only, on a weekly basis from February to June, and anyone who spots a death cap mushroom in a public area is encouraged to contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
