Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Milkshakes Sold in Washington State, Here's What You Need to Know
Investigators detected listeria in the ice cream machines at one Tacoma restaurant.
Six people have been hospitalized — three of those patients have since died — after reportedly consuming milkshakes contaminated by listeria bacteria. According to the Washington State Department of Health, five of the affected people were from Pierce County, Washington, and one was from neighboring Thurston County. All six were hospitalized between February 27 and July 22 of this year.
Two individuals who were hospitalized (but survived) reported having eaten milkshakes from Frugals, a restaurant in Tacoma. According to the Department of Health, investigators detected listeria bacteria in the ice cream machines at that Frugals location, and genetic fingerprinting later confirmed that the strain of listeria found in the device matched the strain that hospitalized all six people.
The listeria was allegedly a result of improperly cleaned ice cream machines; Frugals stopped using the potentially affected machines on August 8, and they will not be used again until they’ve been deemed safe by the Department of Health. (But the Department added that listeria bacteria can still cause serious illness up to 70 days after it is consumed.)
Related: The Most Common Cause of Listeria Is Behind the Deli Counter, Study Shows
Frugals has three other locations in Washington, three in Minnesota, and a mobile food truck, but only the Tacoma restaurant has been connected to the listeria outbreak. In a statement posted to its Facebook page, Frugals said that it had stopped using the milkshake machines in all of its restaurants and that samples taken from each would be sent for testing. The milkshake machine from the Tacoma location is being sent to “an independent laboratory for thorough cleaning, sanitization, and re-testing.”
“Today we are deeply saddened to learn that the Washington State Department of Health is reporting six people were hospitalized with foodborne listeriosis and three people later died. We are heartbroken and deeply regret any harm our actions could have caused,” Frugals wrote.
“As a family-owned business for over 30 years, the trust of our customers is paramount. We will continue to fully cooperate with this investigation, and we are committed to making any changes deemed necessary to maintain our high standard of operations and prevent this from happening again.”
The Washington Department of Health has encouraged anyone who is pregnant, over the age of 65, or has a weakened immune system and who ate a milkshake from Frugals Tacoma between May 29 and August 7 to call their healthcare provider if they are experiencing any symptoms of listeria. Some of the symptoms include fever, muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
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