U.S. health officials were puzzled when four people in different states — Kansas, Texas, Georgia and Minnesota — came down with a tropical disease, even though none had traveled internationally.
Two of the four, one of them a child, died as a result of the infection.
Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating whether they may have been infected by an aromatherapy spray imported from India and sold by Walmart in 55 Walmart stores and online.
CDC scientists found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease in an aromatherapy spray in the Georgia patient’s home. The agency said it was testing to confirm the bacteria in the bottle is the same strain as that seen in the four patients. It previously said lab analyses showed all four infections were closely related.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Walmart issued a recall Friday for 3,900 bottles of the spray in six scents.
The contaminated spray is labeled “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones,” the CDC said. It was sold for $4 in 55 Walmart stores and on Walmart’s website starting in February and until Thursday.
Because of the possibility that people using the product will inhale it, NBC is reporting that the CPSC is urging anyone in possession of the spray to return it to Walmart rather than dispose of it. Customers will receive a $20 Walmart Gift Card upon return, the CPSC says..
The agency is advising consumers to return the product to Walmart in “clean, clear zip-top resealable bags” placed in a “small cardboard box,” NBC says.
The agency also advises people to wash sheets or linens that the product may have been sprayed on (using normal detergent and drying in a hot dryer) and to wipe down counters and surfaces that might have been exposed to the spray with an undiluted disinfectant cleaner.
Officials are investigating whether other scents and brands may pose a risk. The aromatherapy was sold with a pump spray nozzle in the following scents and product numbers:
84140411420 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lavender & Chamomile
84140411421 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lemon and Mandarin
84140411422 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lavender
84140411423 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Peppermint
84140411424 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lime & Eucalyptus
84140411425 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Sandalwood and Vanilla
Melioidosis is a rare in the United States, with about 12 cases reported annually. People can get it through direct contact with contaminated soil and water. The CDC said the infection is treatable if caught early and treated correctly.
Ad Choices