EXCLUSIVE Killed by a MILKSHAKE: Grandfather who died after eating from bacteria-riddled fast food restaurant in Washington is pictured for first time

A Washington grandfather was one of three people who died from a deadly bacterial infection after drinking a fast food shake.

Charles Roberson, of Yelm, Tacoma, died at age 73 on June 20 of listeria, a bacterial infection traced to an ice cream machine at Frugals Burger Joint.

He consumed the drink between March and April and began to experience numbness and pain in his neck and arms about a month later.

His wife, Linda Roberson, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court on Monday, alleging that Frugals was negligent in the manufacture, distribution and sale of the shakes.

Frugals admitted that an internal investigation found that the machine had not been properly cleaned.

Bill Marler, a food safety attorney representing the Roberson family, said Komo News: ‘This is a really sad situation. You know, husband and wife married for 45 years. He eats a Frugal shake and gets sick.

“You can’t undo a death, but what you can do is make everything transparent so we can learn from this unfortunate incident and hopefully convince people to do a better job cleaning their equipment.” .

Charles Roberson with his wife Linda Roberson and one of their grandchildren

The restaurant stopped using its ice cream machines on August 8, but listeria can make you sick up to 70 days later

A St. Patrick’s Day shake from Frugals in Tacoma

In June, Mr. Roberson was admitted to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia with numbness and pain in his neck and arms.

He underwent surgery for possible neurological problems within a few days and was released to a rehabilitation center in Tacoma.

Marler believes that Mr. Roberson’s symptoms were related to his listeria infection, The Seattle Times reported.

Mr. Roberson’s condition worsened and he died a few weeks later at St Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

His cerebrospinal fluid was sent to a lab to perform genetic fingerprinting on bacterial samples, which showed that Roberson was positive for listeria.

Listeria is an infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium listeria monocytogenes.

Most people who eat Listeria-contaminated food will not become seriously ill. But in some cases it can lead to confusion and seizures, miscarriages in pregnant women, and even death.

This can happen when the infection spreads beyond the intestine and can affect the central nervous system, which can lead to numbness and seizures.

The restaurant stopped using its ice cream machines on August 8, but Listeria can make people sick for up to 70 days.

Authorities used genetic tests for bacteria in the shakes to show the Listeria strain is the same one that hospitalized six people between February 27 and July 22.

All six cases had weakened immune systems, making them less able to fight the disease. Three of them died, one of them Mr. Roberson.

Areas inside food processing equipment can allow water buildup and contamination, which can lead to colonization of listeria bacteria.

If equipment is not thoroughly cleaned, bacteria will grow and some could end up in food.

An orange cream shake from Frugals Tacoma

Listeria bacteria were found in ice cream machines at a Frugals restaurant in Tacoma, Washington, that were used to make milkshakes served at the burger joint.

Maher told DailyMail.com that “there are probably more cases” due to the incubation period of up to 70 days for listeria.

Listeria is an infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium listeria monocytogenes.

Most people who eat Listeria-contaminated food will not become seriously ill. But in some cases it can lead to confusion and seizures and even death.

People who are pregnant, those 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk.

Officials say vulnerable people should call their healthcare provider if they had a Frugals’ Tacoma shake between May 29 and Aug. 7, 2023, and have symptoms of listeria.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the Frugals said: “We are heartbroken and deeply sorry for any harm our actions may have caused.”

It announced that it had stopped all smoothie sales at all of its locations, that machines at other stores would be tested for Listeria, and that contaminated machinery would be sanitized and retested.

Many foods can harbor listeria, but it is usually found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, and ready-to-eat foods like packaged sandwiches.

Listeria is widespread in the environment and can be found in raw foods and in the soil and droppings of many mammals, birds, and fish.

Mild symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting usually begin within 24 hours of eating contaminated food and usually last one to three days.

However, if the infection spreads beyond the intestine, it becomes an invasive disease and symptoms appear within two weeks of consuming listeria-contaminated food.

The infection is treated with antibiotics.

According to the CDC, approximately 1,600 Americans contract listeria each year and about 260 die.

Invasive disease during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infections of the newborn, and nearly 1 in 20 non-pregnant people die with invasive listeria.

Nearly one in 20 non-pregnant people die from invasive listeria.

You can avoid listeria by wash your hands regularly with soap and water, wash fruits and vegetables before eatingstore ready-to-eat foods as recommended by the manufacturer, and ensuring all hot food is piping hot all the way through.