Deadly bacteria found in popular aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart, CDC warns
CORRECTION: The original photo in this story was incorrect. It has been changed to show the product that was recalled.
UPDATE:
A deadly bacteria found in a Better Homes & Gardens Aromatherapy room spray has been linked to a melioidosis outbreak that sickened four people this year, killing two, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Tuesday.
Bacteria found in a bottle of the spray at the home of a Georgia woman who was infected with the rare disease “genetically matches the bacterial strains in the patient” and three other patients in Kansas, Minnesota and Texas, according to the public health agency.
Retailer Walmart recalled nearly 3,900 bottles of the Better Homes & Gardens-branded aromatherapy sprays last week after the bottle of the “Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones” scent tested positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacteria that causes melioidosis.
Researchers were able to confirm that the “DNA fingerprint of the bacteria” in the spray matched those found in the infected patients.
“When you think about the thousands of things people come in contact with around their homes, it’s remarkable we were able to identify the source and confirm it in the lab,” Dr. Inger Damon, director of CDC’s Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said in a statement.
“CDC scientists and our partners found the proverbial needle in the haystack,” Damon added
ORIGINAL:
Walmart is recalling a popular aromatherapy spray after it was found to contain a rare — but deadly — bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.
Bottles of Better Homes & Gardens’ Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones should be returned immediately, the public health agency said, after lab tests revealed Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria, which causes melioidosis.
CDC officials said the contaminated sprays were sold at about 55 Walmart stores and on the retailer’s website between February and October 21, 2021. The retailer is now recalling about 3,900 bottles of the Better Homes & Gardens-branded Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy room sprays in all six scents.
Customers who return the spray will receive a $20 gift card, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
A bottle of the contaminated spray was discovered in the home of a Georgia woman who was diagnosed with the disease in July before dying, according to the CDC. The same bacteria sickened at least three others in Kansas, Texas and Minnesota earlier this year. Two people died, including the woman from Georgia.
“Our hearts go out to the families that have been impacted by this situation,” Inger Damon, director of CDC’s Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said in a statement. “We at CDC have been very concerned to see these serious related illness spread across time and geography. That is why our scientists have continued to work tirelessly to try to find the potential source for the melioidosis infections in these patients.”
“We hope this work can help protect other people who may have used this spray,” Damon said.
If you have the aromatherapy spray in your home, the CDC recommends you to:
- Stop use immediately. Users should also refrain from throwing the bottle in the trash.
- Double-bag the spray bottle, put it in a cardboard box and return it to a Walmart store.
- Wash all sheets and linens that the product was sprayed on, including with bleach “if desired.”
- Wipe and disinfect all countertops and surfaces where the product may have been sprayed.
- Limit handling the spray and thoroughly wash your hands after handling the bottle.
The agency said it’s doing additional testing to see if “the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria in the (contaminated) bottle” matches the bacteria that sickened four people this year.
Melioidosis causes a range of symptoms — including fever, headache and joint pain — and is often confused with other illness, according to the CDC. Consumers are urged to seek medical care if they used the room spray in the last 21 and have developed symptoms.
This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Deadly bacteria found in popular aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart, CDC warns."