Listeria Outbreak Kills Three in Washington State, Local Health Authorities Say

Listeria monocytogenes. Courtesy of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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.