SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A rare bacteria was detected in an aromatherapy spray by Better Homes and Garden, the Centers for Disease Control said Friday.
The CDC tested ‘Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones’ and found the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei.
This same rare bacteria sickened four people in the U.S. this year, and killed two of them, the CDC said.
The room spray was found in the Georgia home of a person who was diagnosed with melioidosis, a serious disease caused by exposure to the bacteria, according to the CDC.
The CDC is testing whether the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria in the bottle matches the bacteria found in the earlier four patients and is coordinating with state health departments in Kansas, Minnesota, and Texas to check whether the other three patients may have also used this spray or similar products.
Walmart on Friday issued a recall for the spray in six different scents while the products are under investigation.
The aromatherapy was sold for $4 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
About 55 Walmart locations and the retailer’s website sold the contaminated spray between February and Oct. 21, 2021, the CDC said. Walmart has since pulled the remaining bottles and related products.
Walmart estimates about 3,900 units were sold.
Here’s what the CDC says to do if you purchased and used any of these six Better Homes and Gardens aromatherapy sprays:
- 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. If you do not have symptoms but were exposed to the product in the last 7 days, your doctor may recommend that you get antibiotics (post-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent infection.
The CDC said the strain of bacteria is usually found in South Asia – which is where these sprays were manufactured.
“Melioidosis causes a wide range of symptoms that can be confused with other common illnesses, like flu or a cold. Person-to-person spread is extremely rare,” according to the CDC.