PA Amish Family Of 11, Including Infant, Hospitalized By ‘Toxic Mushrooms’: Officials

"Toxic mushrooms" sent 11 Amish family members – including a 1-year-old – to a hospital on Friday night, Oct. 11, officials say.

First responders on the scene of the "toxic mushroom" incident on an Amish farm in York County, Pennsylvania.
Photo Credit: *Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company*

Jillian Pikora

10/13/2024 2:41 p.m.

First responders were called to the home in the 200 block of Burke Road in Peach Bottom Township around 9:37 p.m. when a family member went to a payphone a half-mile away and called 911, Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company Lieutenant Gregory Fantom explained to the press.

The family of 11 included a man, a woman, and nine of their children and they ranged in ages between 1 to 39 years old, Fantom said.

They had reportedly found the wild mushrooms in the woods near their home earlier that day and took them home for dinner. The exact type of mushroom they ingested has yet to be confirmed.

But all 11 people, “ingested toxic mushrooms and were all ill,” the fire department stated in a release.

They were taken to WellSpan York Hospital and have since been released according to the department. This is a wonderful surprise as the incident was originally reported as a "mass causality" possible due to the extreme lethargic condition the family was found in, according to officials.

The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating this incident.

Peach Bottom Township is near the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line, and the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company operates in both states.

There are approximately 250 varieties of poisonous wild mushrooms found across North America, according to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.

Over 6,000 toxic mushroom ingestions happen each year in the United States, more than half of which are among children under 6 years old, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Misidentification of species is among the top reasons for mushroom poisonings.

The FDA wrote the following about foodborne illnesses due to mushrooms:

"If you are foraging for wild-type mushrooms, it is important to consult with a knowledgeable expert to properly identify species that are safe for consumption. The best way to keep from getting sick from wild-type mushrooms is to avoid the toxic species. It’s much safer to get mushrooms from grocery stores that sell the products grown on professional mushroom farms."

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