Recent rains followed by warm weather have created ideal growing conditions for poisonous mushrooms in Victoria.
Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike today issued a warning to people gathering wild mushrooms to ensure their harvests did not include the deadly varieties.
Victoria's two most dangerous mushrooms are the Yellow Staining and Death Cap varieties.
"Anyone who becomes ill after eating mushrooms should seek urgent medical advice and, if possible, take samples of the whole mushroom for identification," Ms Pike said in a statement.
Victoria's chief health officer Robert Hall today said the commonly-found Yellow Staining mushroom turned yellow when its cap or stem was bruised by a thumbnail.
Dr Hall said they caused nausea, stomach pain and diarrhoea, but the most dangerous variety was the Death Cap, usually found near deciduous trees, especially around oaks.
Death Cap mushrooms are responsible for 90 per cent of all mushroom poisoning deaths, Dr Hall said.
It is a large mushroom with a cap ranging from light olive green to greenish yellow. Its gills are white and the base of its stem is surrounded by a cup-shaped sac.
It is widely found across Victoria.