Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
NewsContamination ControlMicrobiological

Foodborne Listeriosis Causes Three Deaths in Washington State, WGS Suggests Common Source

emergency room sign

Image credit: Unsplash via Pexels

July 26, 2023

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department of Washington has announced that it is working with the Washington State Department of Health and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services to investigate five cases of foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes in Western Washington, three of which have resulted in death. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has indicated that the five cases of listeriosis were likely caused by the same source of infection.

At present, a common food source has not been identified, but the investigation is ongoing. Washington 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.

All five of the case patients were over 60 years of age, three of the patients died as a result of their infections, and all of the patients were immunocompromised. The onset of illness occurred between February 27 and June 30, 2023. Of the patients, four resided in Pierce County and one resided in Thurston County.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not announced any involvement in the investigation as of July 26, 2023.


Update, August 22, 2023: The number of cases in the outbreak has increased to six. The Washington State Department of Health has identified milkshakes served at Frugals restaurant in Tacoma, Washington as the source of the outbreak.

KEYWORDS: foodborne illness outbreak listeria outbreak investigations whole genome sequencing

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Microbiological
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Sanitation
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Management
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

FoodSafetyMattersFinal-900x550-(002).jpg

Ep. 195. Dr. Christopher Daubert: The Value of a Food Science Education

Students returning their lunch trays in a cafeteria

California Bill Would Remove Ultra-Processed Foods from School Lunches

Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.

Staying Compliant With FSMA

Events

June 26, 2025

How to Design and Conduct Challenge Studies for Safer Products and Longer Shelf Life

Live: June 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn how to conduct challenge studies for microbial spoilage and pathogen growth, including the common challenges encountered, laboratory selection, and use of predictive models.

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • danish flag

    Denmark Sees Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Rise in 2021; Norovirus, Salmonella Most Common Causes

    See More
  • doctor bedside with elderly hospital patient

    UKHSA Investigating Five Illnesses, Three Deaths in Listeria Outbreak Among Hospital Patients

    See More
  • smoked salmon on a plate with garnishes

    RTE Fish Contaminated by Listeria Causes Two Deaths in European Outbreak

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781138070912.jpg

    Trends in Food Safety and Protection

  • food safety.jpg

    Food Safety Contaminants and Risk Assessment

  • 9781498721776.jpg

    Handbook of Food Processing: Food Safety, Quality, and Manufacturing Processes

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • August 29, 2024

    Understanding and Addressing Biofilm Communities and Behavior in the Food Plant

    On Demand: In this webinar, speakers with expertise in industry food safety, sanitation, and genomics will provide education on the formation and behavior of biofilms and the challenges they pose to food safety and sanitation operations.
  • October 24, 2024

    The Future of Metal and X-Ray Detection in Plastics

    On Demand: From this webinar, attendees will learn how to enhance safety and compliance in their F&B operations.
View AllSubmit An Event

Related Directories

  • Puritan Medical Products Co.

    Puritan is an American company known worldwide as the trusted manufacturer of single-use products for the healthcare, diagnostic, forensic, critical environment, food safety, and drug manufacturing industries. At Puritan, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to producing high-quality products. Order with confidence, knowing that Puritan products are manufactured, packaged and shipped from our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Maine. We maintain valuable relationships with many of America’s top distributors and kit manufacturers in order to ensure that all industries have access to our extensive product portfolio.
  • SmartWash Solutions

    Get the highest level of food safety in the industry with SmartWash Solutions. •Achieve FSMA compliance •Mitigate cross-contamination, avoiding outbreaks and recalls •Monitor and control wash water chemistry, increasing efficiency. With our full-service partnership you’ll have: state-of-the-art equipment, expert calibration, ongoing maintenance, easy integration and real-time process control. Visit smartwashsolutions.com
  • TAAG Labs

    TAAG has 20 years of experience delivering next-generation, preventive, data-driven food safety programs. Our offerings include AI-powered predictive environmental monitoring, custom-made, high-multiplex PCR kits, and state-of-the-art laboratory services for microorganism detection and identification. Learn more at www.taag-labs.com
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing