Food-borne illness kills 3, sickens others in south Puget Sound. Investigation underway
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Listeria outbreak
Between Feb. 27 and July 22, 2023, six customers at a Tacoma restaurant developed severe illness due to infection with Listeria. Three of them died. Follow all of the TNT’s coverage here.
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Another potentially lethal illness was reported Friday by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, this time food-borne.
The health department said it is working with the state Department of Health and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services to investigate five cases of listeriosis in Western Washington.
The illness is an infection caused by Listeria bacteria, which can contaminate food. Common sources are unpasteurized or raw milk, or food made from unpasteurized milk, as well as other raw food sources.
“Investigators are interviewing patients or their proxies to help identify any common exposures,” TPCHD said Friday.
Four of the reported cases are in Pierce County. One is in Thurston County. All five patients, two women and three men, were hospitalized and three died, according to health officials. All of the victims had weakened immune systems, and were in their 60s or 70s.
Two of the deaths were in Pierce County and one in Thurston, a DOH media representative told The News Tribune.
DOH said, “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.”
The state reports about 10 to 25 infections in Washington each year. Those most at risk include people with a weakened immune system or who are pregnant, newborn or elderly.
Symptoms usually develop between three to 70 days after exposure. About half of those infected see symptoms within three weeks, TPCHD noted Friday.
The health department offered the following tips to avoid exposure:
▪ Thoroughly cook meat like beef, pork or poultry.
▪ Wash raw vegetables well before eating.
▪ Keep uncooked meats away from vegetables and from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
▪ Wash your hands, knives and cutting boards after you handle uncooked foods.
▪ Eat perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.
People most at risk of infection should avoid unpasteurized soft cheeses like queso fresco and brie; unheated hot dogs, lunch meats or deli meats; refrigerated meat spreads and refrigerated smoked seafood, “unless it is in a cooked dish like a casserole,” TPCHD said in its alert.
Do not under-heat leftovers or ready to eat foods, and those at risk also should avoid pre-made deli salads such as potato, tuna or chicken salad, or coleslaw.
Transferring fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils and food-prep surfaces can lead to illness, TPCHD added.
More information is available at the CDC website.
If you think you have a food-borne illness or serious infection, contact your healthcare provider.
You can report suspected food-borne illnesses or concerns in Pierce County at TPCHD’s website and in Thurston County at its health site.
TPCHD said DOH is leading the investigation and will update case information online.
This is the third alert sent in recent days by TPCHD over potentially deadly health concerns in the area.
On July 14 it reported a dangerous tick-borne disease detected in a Puyallup woman; and on July 18 it reported a potentially lethal fungus detected in a hospitalized Pierce County man.
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Food-borne illness kills 3, sickens others in south Puget Sound. Investigation underway."
