A Listeria outbreak in Pierce and Thurston counties in Washington has sickened five people, three of whom have died, according to local health officials. The patients, all over 60 with compromised immune systems, first became ill between February 27 and June 30, 2023. All of them were hospitalized.
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Health officials used whole genome sequencing to identify the genetic “fingerprint” of the Listeria isolate cultured from each patient and found they closely resemble each other. This means they were exposed to the same source of contaminated food. There is an ongoing investigation to determine the specific source.
Listeria Outbreak in Pierce and Thurston Counties
Two of the five patients, who are in their 60s and 70s, are female, three are male. Four live in Pierce County, one is from Thurston County. State and county health officials are working together to gather information from patients and their families about possible exposures.
Symptom of Listeria
Symptoms of Listeria usually develop within one to 14 days of exposure but can sometimes take as long as 70 days to develop. They include severe headache, stiff neck, other muscle aches, fatigue, confusion, and loss of balance. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths even if the expectant mother experiences only mild symptoms.
Experienced Listeria Lawyers
If you developed a Listeria infection or your family suffered the wrongful death of a loved one and you would like to discuss your legal options, please contact our Listeria lawyers. Our Food Safety Team has more experience handling Listeria lawsuits than any other law firm in the country securing some of the largest Listeria settlements in U.S. history including a recent award of $6.4 million.
You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.