Kansas health officials say a foodborne illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products may have been a contributing factor in the deaths of three hospital patients.
But Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman Sara Belfry said Saturday that listeriosis didn’t cause the deaths.
Belfry said the only detail she could provide about the patients at Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, Kansas, is that they were adults.
Hospital spokeswoman Maria Loving said she couldn’t discuss why the patients were hospitalized, citing patient confidentiality laws.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says five people developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas.
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This undated photo provided by Blue Bell shows Blue Bell Almond Bar. The deaths of three people who developed a foodborne illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products have prompted the Texas icon’s first product recall in its 108-year history. Five people, in all, developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA says listeria bacteria were found in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bars, Scoops, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars and No Sugar Added Moo Bars. (AP Photo/Blue Bell)
Enlarge
This undated photo provided by Blue Bell shows Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies. The deaths of three people who developed a foodborne illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products have prompted the Texas icon’s first product recall in its 108-year history. Five people, in all, developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA says listeria bacteria were found in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bars, Scoops, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars and No Sugar Added Moo Bars. (AP Photo/Blue Bell)
Enlarge
This undated photo provided by Blue Bell shows Blue Bell Great Divide Bar. The deaths of three people who developed a foodborne illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products have prompted the Texas icon’s first product recall in its 108-year history. Five people, in all, developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA says listeria bacteria were found in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bars, Scoops, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars and No Sugar Added Moo Bars. (AP Photo/Blue Bell)
Enlarge
This undated photo provided by Blue Bell shows a Blue Bell Cotton Candy Bar. The deaths of three people who developed a foodborne illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products have prompted the Texas icon’s first product recall in its 108-year history. Five people, in all, developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA says listeria bacteria were found in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bars, Scoops, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars and No Sugar Added Moo Bars. (AP Photo/Blue Bell)
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