Wild mushrooms kill two senior care residents

Two residents at an assisted living community are dead and more hospitalized after ingesting a soup made for them with wild mushrooms that were picked by a caregiver at their facility.

An employee at Gold Age Villa in Loomis, CA, harvested the wild mushrooms on the property and prepared them for residents, the Sacramento Bee reported. Police have said it was an accident.

In addition to the deceased residents, who were ages 86 and 73, the employee and three other residents were hospitalized. The villa is certified as a residential care home for six residents over the age of 60. A sign outside asked for privacy and no reporters, the Sacramento Bee reported. The California Department of Social Services is investigating.

There were 10 cases of serious mushroom poisoning and two deaths reported in California in 2009 and 2010, according to state figures cited by the Bee.