ATLANTA, Ga. -The CDC has identified a deadly bacteria in an aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart, which may be linked to two deaths.
The bacteria, Burkholderia pseudomallei, has sickened four people in the United States this year. Two of those victims have died.
According to the Associate Press, the cases were reported from March to July in Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia.
The bacteria, which can cause a rare disease called melioidosis, was found in the “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones.”
The bacteria was discovered in a sample of the spray after it was found in one of the victims home earlier this month.
Walmart issued a recall on the spray along with five other scents. The contaminated spray was sold online and at about 55 Walmart stores but has since been pulled from shelves and the website.
CDC recommends that anyone who has the aromatherapy spray in their home to:
- Stop using this product immediately. Do not open the bottle. Do not throw away or dispose of the bottle in the regular trash.
- Double bag the bottle in clean, clear zip-top bags and place in a small cardboard box. Return the bagged and boxed product to a Walmart store.
- Wash sheets or linens that the product may have been sprayed on using normal laundry detergent and dry completely in a hot dryer; bleach can be used if desired.
- Wipe down counters and surfaces that might have the spray on them with undiluted Pine-Sol or similar disinfectant.
- Limit how much you handle the spray bottle and wash hands thoroughly after touching the bottle or linens. If you used gloves, wash hands afterward.
- If you have used the product within the past 21 days and have fever or other melioidosis symptoms, seek medical care and tell your doctor you were exposed to the spray.
The CDC is working to detect if related scents may also cause a threat.
