Hundreds of serious mushroom poisonings each year in Germany

An estimated 280 to 680 people a year in Germany were treated in hospital for mushroom poisoning over the past 10 years, according to federal health reporting data cited by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). 

Germany has about 83 million inhabitants, and the number of serious mushroom poisonings is relatively low. The exact total cannot be fully recorded, but figures from several authorities provide clues. 

Deaths from picking the wrong mushroom are much rarer, with between zero and seven a year in the same period, the health reporting shows.

Up to 170 serious poisoning cases a year

Germany has seven poison information centres. The Poison Information Centre for North Germany (GIZ Nord) in Göttingen recorded 10 to 24 serious mushroom poisoning cases each year from 2022 to 2025, and up to two deaths.

According to the BfR, the GIZ Nord receives about one-seventh of all enquiries to German poison information centres. Extrapolating these figures to all of Germany, that would mean 70 to just under 170 serious cases a year handled as enquiries at the centres, and up to 14 deaths. That would be slightly higher than the death figures shown by federal health reporting.

Higher risk in good mushroom years

The BfR notes that the figures fluctuate sharply from year to year and that regional differences may play a role. Different poisonous mushrooms have different site requirements. The likelihood of poisoning also rises in so-called mushroom years when weather conditions favour growth.

There are also likely to be unreported cases, as not everyone who is poisoned ends up in hospital or seeks advice from the centres.

To get as complete a nationwide picture as possible, the BfR is working to set up a central poisoning register.