Three people have died from a listeria outbreak in Washington state, according to state health authorities.
The Washington State Department of Health, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services announced on July 21 that they were investigating the cases of five adults over 60 years of age who developed severe infections of listeriosis—which is caused by Listeria monocytogenes—including the three who died.
All five became ill between Feb. 27 and June 30 and had “compromised immune systems,” the health department said.
A common food source has yet to be officially identified during the ongoing investigation.
Listeriosis is a serious bacterial infection that commonly comes from contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)….