Deadly listeria outbreak linked to Tacoma restaurant’s milkshakes

A listeria outbreak that killed three people was linked to a Tacoma restaurant’s milkshakes, health officials said Friday.

Six people — five in Pierce County and one in Thurston County — became ill between February and July with the bacterial infection, which compromised their immune systems’ abilities to fight off disease, the Washington State Department of Health announced in a news release.

All were hospitalized.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department tested milkshakes from Tacoma’s Frugals restaurant in August after two people told officials they became ill after drinking milkshakes from there, the state health department reported.

The local department found that all flavors of milkshakes were contaminated with listeria, the state department said. All six people were found to have fallen ill from the same food.

The health department is still investigating the outbreak at Frugals in Tacoma.

While the contamination was isolated to the Tacoma restaurant, Frugals management directed staff to shut down milkshake machines at their other locations in Port Angeles, Auburn and Spokane out of caution, according to a statement.

“We are heartbroken and deeply regret any harm our actions could have caused,” a Friday statement from the family-owned company read.

The business has followed all health recommendations and though not required to, will also apply enhanced cleaning, safety and sanitation across all “product categories” in all locations, the statement says.

The restaurant won’t make milkshakes until the department clears them to.

Most people who consume food contaminated with listeria won’t become seriously ill, the state department said, but advised people who are at high risk to contact a health care provider if they had a milkshake from Frugals between May 29 and Aug. 7.

Those who are considered high risk include people who are 65 or older, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant people.

Symptoms of listeria infections range from fever, a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue.