Fast-Food Milkshakes Kill 3 People In Washington State
From contaminated enoki mushrooms to recalled yogurt bars, Listeria has caused numerous major foodborne illness outbreaks in 2023. Now,
the pathogen is blamed for another sickness outbreak that has hospitalized and killed several people.
Frugals restaurant in Tacoma, Wash., caused three Listeria deaths and three hospitalizations. For those unfamiliar, Frugals is a small regional
fast-food franchise with eight Washington and Montana outlets. Burgers, fries, and milkshakes are its specialties.
According to a Washington State Department of Health press release, Listeria was identified in the Tacoma restaurant's unclean ice cream machines.
Listeria in Frugals' milkshakes was the same that sickened six customers. Two of the three survivors said they drank Tacoma Frugals milkshakes before feeling unwell.
The restaurant stopped operating the ice cream machines on Aug. 8, but Listeria can cause 70-day illness. The listeria incident is not believed to infect any more Frugals
The CDC says eating foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis. Approximately 1,600 people have listeriosis
annually, and 260 die. It most often infects pregnant women, babies, immunocompromised persons, and seniors.
The six Frugals milkshake drinkers who were hospitalized or died had immune system disorders, according to the Washington State Department of Health.