Well being officers in Washington State mentioned on Friday that three folks had died and two had been hospitalized within the Puget Sound space after contracting food-borne listeria infections in what seemed to be an outbreak.
Testing indicated that every one 5 sufferers, three males and two girls, grew to become sick between Feb. 27 and June 30 and possibly had the identical supply of an infection, officers mentioned, although an investigation had not but recognized a typical meals supply.
Every contaminated individual was of their 60s or 70s and had a compromised immune system, officers mentioned.
4 of the circumstances had been in Pierce County, and one was in Thurston County.
The Washington State Division of Well being mentioned it was working with “native well being jurisdictions to collect info from interviews with sufferers and their households to assist determine any frequent exposures.”
Whereas it was nonetheless unclear the place the circumstances originated, officers mentioned the micro organism had been generally present in unheated cheeses and deli meats, unpasteurized dairy merchandise, and premade deli salads, reminiscent of potato or tuna salads.
Officers added that the microorganism would die at temperatures above 165 levels Fahrenheit.
Final 12 months, a multistate listeria outbreak was linked to contaminated deli meat and cheeses. Different current outbreaks have been brought on by contaminated store-bought ice cream and leafy greens.
The sickness listeriosis, brought on by the micro organism listeria, is of best menace to older adults, folks with weakened immune programs and people who are pregnant.
Listeriosis sometimes manifests inside two weeks of consuming contaminated meals and may trigger flulike signs, in keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. In pregnant folks, extreme circumstances can result in miscarriage and different issues.
Washington State data 10 to 25 circumstances of the an infection annually, in keeping with the Tacoma-Pierce County Well being Division.
From 2009 to 2021, the newest 12 months for which knowledge is out there, the state logged 18 listeria outbreaks that resulted in 238 hospitalizations and 47 deaths, in keeping with the C.D.C.
