A family-owned burger restaurant in Tacoma, Washington, has been linked to a listeria outbreak that tragically claimed three lives.

On August 18th, the Washington State Department of Health issued a report verifying the presence of listeria bacteria in milkshake flavors sold at a Frugals burger restaurant in Tacoma, located approximately one hour away from Seattle.

According to the department’s findings, this bacterial contamination resulted in six individuals being hospitalized, sadly leading to three fatalities, NBC News reported.

The age range of those hospitalized fell between 40 and 79 years old.

“Investigators found Listeria in the ice cream machines, which were not cleaned correctly,” the department said. “No other Frugals restaurants are believed to be affected.”

Written by staff