"These mushrooms can grow after heavy rain. In some instances people intentionally collected and ate wild mushrooms that include the death cap without recognising the risks, and one single mushroom can be deadly even if it's cooked," University of Sydney researcher Professor Greg Neely said.

The antidote research, by Sydney University and Sun Yat-sen University in China, found a drug that blocked a key protein which allowed the main toxin in death cap mushrooms to have an effect.

Testing the drug on human cells and mice showed positive results, although more work was needed to assess its safety for humans.

Professor Neely said there had been "numerous" mushroom poisonings in recent years in Australia, including children and pets.

"There are acute risks and also more long term risks like liver damage," he said.

"So having identified a new potential antidote can give us more effective ways of dealing with these poisoning and help protect our population."

Last month, the Victorian health department issued a warning against eating wild mushrooms, including death cap and yellow-staining mushroom varieties, which have been found in the Central Highlands region.

The official health advice listed on the Victorian Department of Health website stated, "unless you are an expert, do not pick and eat wild mushrooms in Victoria".

Mycologist Ema Corro will run a mushroom foraging workshop at Haddon Community Learning Centre in June to help people forage in a way that is safe and environmentally responsible.

She told The Courier interest in foraging has grown in Australia and, even after a decade of doing it herself, she always errs on the side of caution.

"I stick to mushrooms that are very easily identifiable, and where you can also easily identify any poisonous lookalikes," she said.

"I strongly advise people don't go foraging unless it's with the help of an expert.

"I wouldn't encourage anyone to try foraging without being physically shown what the mushrooms looked like by an expert, because photos can be pretty deceiving."

Death Cap mushrooms grow under oak trees, ranging in colour from pale yellow-green to olive brown with ridges on the underside of the cap are white.

Consuming a single Death Cap can be fatal, with symptoms including stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and liver damage.

"They actually look like Paddy Straw Mushrooms which is why a lot of the people who've been poisoned by those over the years have come from countries where Paddy Straw Mushrooms are eaten quite commonly," Ms Corro said.

The Yellow-staining Mushroom grows in large patches on lawns and gardens and looks similar to edible Field Mushrooms.

These mushrooms are the cause of most poisonings due to ingestion of wild fungi in Victoria, and the severity of the symptoms - nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting - varying with the amount eaten.

"They're in the same genus and closely related to the Field Mushrooms, and they look pretty much the same, except that they have phenol in them, which will make most people quite ill," Ms Corro said.

People should urgently attend an emergency department if they believe they've eaten a poisonous mushroom and should take any remaining mushroom with them for identification.

See the The Haddon Community Learning Centre for more information on its foraging workshop, on June 3.

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