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Three people died and two others were hospitalized in Washington state after contracting listeria infections in recent months, health officials said. (Adams Otis, 7/23)

Health officials in Washington State said on Friday that three people had died and two had been hospitalized in the Puget Sound area after contracting food-borne listeria infections in what appeared to be an outbreak. Testing indicated that all five patients, three men and two women, became ill between Feb. 27 and June 30 and probably had the same source of infection, officials said, though an investigation had not yet identified a common food source. (Mayorquin, 7/22)

Though genetic fingerprinting known as genome sequencing helped health professionals conclude the infections most likely had the same origin, the department had yet to trace the outbreak to a common food source, the department said. The bacteria can be found on food preparation surfaces, fresh, unpasteurized cheese, leafy greens, and cold cuts, as well as in raw milk. (Romero, 7/23)