Three Dead in US After Drinking Milkshake... "Machine Not Properly Cleaned"

US Health Authorities "Listeria Bacteria Detected"

Three customers died after consuming milkshakes at a restaurant in Washington State, USA. U.S. health authorities have identified Listeria bacteria as the cause of the incident.

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According to CNN and other U.S. media on the 20th (local time), the Washington State Department of Health confirmed the presence of Listeria bacteria in milkshakes sold at a franchise hamburger restaurant in Tacoma, Washington.

Earlier, U.S. health authorities launched an investigation after three customers who drank milkshakes at the restaurant between February 17 and July 22 died, and three others were hospitalized.

The investigation revealed that Listeria bacteria developed in an improperly cleaned ice cream machine, and it is estimated that the milkshakes from this restaurant caused infections in these six individuals.

The restaurant stopped using the ice cream machine on the 8th, but it is known that consuming food contaminated with Listeria bacteria can affect the human body for up to 70 days, so the number of victims may increase.

U.S. health authorities explained that the restaurant used the problematic machine until the 7th. They urged anyone who used the restaurant between May 29 and August 7 and shows symptoms of Listeria infection (fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, headache, etc.) to immediately contact a medical institution.

The restaurant has not made any particular statement regarding this matter.

Listeria bacteria live in water and soil and are known to survive even at minus 20 degrees Celsius. They are also known to be easily transmitted through dairy products.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1,600 people are infected with Listeria bacteria annually in the U.S., and approximately 260 of them die.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, and headache, and it is known that the elderly with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and infants are particularly vulnerable. According to the CDC, pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to be infected with Listeria bacteria, and infection during pregnancy is known to cause miscarriage.

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