U.S. - Listeria outbreak sickens 6, kills 3 in Washington State - found in milkshakes sold at Frugals restaurant in Tacoma

[Mary Wilson]

July 21, 2023
By News Desk

A deadly outbreak of infections from Listeria is under investigation by state and local officials in Washington.

As of late today five patients had been identified. All five required hospitalization and three have died, according to the Tacoma-Pierece County Health Department.

All of the patients are or were in their 60s or 70s and all had weakened immune systems, according to the health department, which is working with Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

The Tacoma News is reporting that “genetic fingerprinting results (whole genome sequencing) indicate that these patients likely have the same source of infection. Patients became ill between February 27 and June 30, 2023.”

State and local public health officials have not yet discovered a source for the bacteria. They are interviewing patients and their representatives to develop a profile. ...

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/07/breaking-news-listeria-infection-sickens-5-kills-3-in-washington/

[Mary Wilson]

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

We are working with DOH to investigate a cluster of foodborne listeriosis cases

Post Date:07/21/2023 3:25 p.m.

We are working with Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services to investigate 5 cases of the foodborne illness listeriosis in Western Washington.

Four of the cases are in Pierce County. One is in Thurston County. All 5 patients were hospitalized and 3 died. All the cases were in patients with weakened immune systems in their 60s or 70s. ...

DOH is leading this investigation and will continue to update information on its webpage. You can direct media inquiries to doh-pio@doh.wa.gov.

https://www.tpchd.org/Home/Components/News/News/366/286

[Pathfinder]

2023 Cluster of Foodborne Listeriosis ― Unknown source


Foodborne illness webpage | Link to all outbreaks

Last updated: 8/10/2023

Overview

The Washington State Department of Health, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services are investigating a cluster of illness in five adults over 60 years of age who developed severe infections with Listeria monocytogenes (listeriosis). All five had compromised immune systems and three of the individuals have died. Genetic fingerprinting results (whole genome sequencing) indicate they likely have the same source of infection. Patients became ill between February 27 and June 30, 2023.

To date, a common food source has not been identified but the investigation is ongoing.

Updates


Update 8/10/2023: One new Pierce County resident has been identified who was infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. This brings the total number of outbreak-associated cases to 6. All persons were in their 40s, 60s or 70s when they became ill and all had conditions which make their immune systems less able to fight disease. Patients became ill between February 27th and July 22nd. The investigation into a common food source is ongoing.

Advice to Consumers

There is no specific advice to consumers at this time as a common food exposure has not been identified. Please see below for information about preventing Listeria infection.

Summary of Illnesses

Description of Ill Persons

Number Ill	6
Hospitalized	6
Died	3
Age range	40, 60s and 70s (years of age)
Sex	Female	Male
2	4

Listeriosis Case Counts

County of Residence	Total Cases
Pierce	5
Thurston	1

Public Health Actions


The state Department of Health is working with Pierce and Thurston County local health jurisdictions to gather information from interviews with patients and their families to help identify any common exposures.

About Listeria


Listeria bacteria are found in the environment and can spread from contaminated food to surfaces. Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator for several days. The bacteria are easily killed by heating food to a high temperature (165°F).

Although healthy, non-pregnant individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes is especially harmful to some people:

• For people who are 65 years or older, Listeria infection often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
• For people who have a weakened immune system ((have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness), Listeria infection often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
• For people who are pregnant, Listeria infection can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in the newborn.

Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after exposure.

• People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
• Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.

How You Can Prevent Listeriosis


People at high risk for listeriosis, including people who are pregnant, people who are 65 years or older, and those with weakened immune systems, can reduce their risk of getting listeriosis by choosing safer foods.

Don't Eat: Unpasteurized soft cheese, such as queso fresco and brie or unheated cheeses sliced at a deli.

Choose These Instead

• Pasteurized soft cheeses heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot.
• Deli-sliced cheeses heated to 165°F or until steaming hot.
• Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and parmesan.
• Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, and feta.

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Don't Eat: Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages.

Choose These Instead

• Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot.

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Don't Eat: Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw and potato, tuna, or chicken salad.

Choose These Instead

• Homemade deli salads.

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Don't Eat: Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.

Choose These Instead

• Pâté or meat spreads in sealed, airtight containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening.

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Don't Eat: Refrigerated smoked fish.

Choose These Instead

• Smoked fish in sealed, airtight packages or containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening.
• Smoked fish cooked in a casserole or other cooked dishes.

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Don't Eat: Raw or lightly cooked sprouts.

Choose These Instead

• Sprouts cooked until steaming hot.

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Don't Eat: Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90°F, such as a picnic or hot car) or cut melon that's been in the refrigerator for more than a week.

Choose These Instead

• Melon that has just been cut.

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Don't Eat: Raw (unpasteurized) milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

Choose These Instead

• Pasteurized milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

...

https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2023-listeriosis-unknown-source

[Pathfinder]

Listeria bacteria found in milkshakes sold at Frugals restaurant in Tacoma


For immediate release: August 18, 2023 (23-114)

Contact: DOH Communications

Listeria strain linked to six hospitalizations and three deaths

OLYMPIA – Listeria bacteria found in all milkshake flavors sold at Frugals restaurant at 10727 Pacific Ave. S., Tacoma, WA are associated with a foodborne listeriosis outbreak linked to six hospitalizations and three deaths. Investigators found Listeria in the ice cream machines, which were not cleaned correctly. No other Frugals restaurants are believed to be affected. The restaurant stopped using its ice cream machines Aug. 8, but Listeria can sicken people up to 70 days later.

Most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria will not get seriously sick, but people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems should call their health care provider if they ate a Frugals’ Tacoma milkshake between May 29 and Aug. 7, 2023 and have Listeria symptoms (listed below). Listeria can be treated with antibiotics.

Genetic fingerprinting of bacteria in the milkshakes shows it’s the same strain of Listeria that hospitalized six people between Feb. 27 and July 22 (five people in Pierce County and one person in Thurston County). All six people had conditions that made their immune systems less able to fight disease. Three of the six people hospitalized died. Two people who were hospitalized, but did not die, said they ate Frugals’ Tacoma milkshakes before getting sick.

Listeria symptoms:

• People who are not pregnant usually have a fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
• Those who are pregnant usually have a fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.

More Listeria information is available on the Washington State Department of Health’s Listeriosis webpage and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Listeria website.

The DOH website is your source for a healthy dose of information. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for the DOH blog, Public Health Connection. 

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https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/listeria-bacteria-found-milkshakes-sold-frugals-restaurant-tacoma