Three people died and six others have been hospitalized from contaminated milkshakes made at a drive-thru burger shop in Tacoma, Washington.
The diner, Frugals, announced on Friday that their ice cream machines were not properly sanitized, leading to the deadly Listeria bacteria that was found in every flavor of its milkshakes. The fast-food chain has stopped serving shakes since August 8 at all of their locations in order to test its equipment for the bacteria. But the company warned that it can take 70 days for symptoms to show up after exposure.
"We are heartbroken and deeply regret any harm our actions could have caused," a statement from Frugals said.
From Insider:
The cases occurred between February 27 and July 22, and the affected people all had weakened immune systems, the department said. …
In a statement posted to Facebook, Frugals announced that it would halt all sales of milkshakes at its Tacoma store and all other locations with milkshake machines. The company said that machines at other stores would be tested for Listeria, and the contaminated machines would be sanitized and re-tested. …
Symptoms for most people include fever and flu-like symptoms, seizures, headaches, muscle fatigue, loss of balance, a stiff neck, and confusion, according to the CDC. Symptoms for pregnant people include fever, muscle aches, and fatigue.
