> Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot. Mushrooms of any given species usually have mast years ev

> Three people poisoning themselves in the span of one year in a particular region sounds like a lot. Mushrooms of any given species usually have mast years every few years in a given area, so when that happens it's not uncommon to have a bunch of people poisoned in an area in a given year. E.g. it happened two years ago in CA, and it happened in New England after Irene. In the 40+ year history of amateur mycology clubs in the U.S. though no member of one has ever died from mushroom poisoning (although a few have come close). The victims are usually just toddlers grazing in the back yard, plus immigrants eating things that look similar to what they eat in their home countries.