CDC: Blue Bell's listeria troubles may go back 5 years

BRENHAM, TX (KTRK) -- A new report claims Texas ice cream giant Blue Bell's troubles with listeria may go back five years.

The Centers for Disease Control says it used DNA to connect patients in the past five years to the current outbreak, CNN reports. There is no evidence that Blue Bell knew of the cases.

There are now 10 confirmed cases of listeriosis connected to Blue Bell ice cream in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arizona.

The CDC says the strains of listeria in the Texas and Oklahoma plants are different. The listeria could have been introduced through nuts or another filling. The bacteria can live for years in drains or pipes.

It's also affecting the town of Brenham, where Blue Bell is headquartered.

A spokesperson tells Eyewitness News that production is continuing and employees are still going to work.

For more information on the recall, Blue Bell has set up an information line at 1-866-608-3940 or visit their website at http://www.bluebell.com.