Walmart recalls aromatherapy room spray over deadly bacteria concerns


Walmart announced on Friday it is recalling certain bottles of Better Homes and Gardens aromatherapy room spray, as they may contain "a rare and dangerous bacteria and risk of serious injury and death."
While investigating a cluster of four cases of melioidosis, a rare tropical disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested a bottle of the Better Homes and Garden Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones, and found it contained Burkholderia pseudomallei. This is a "dangerous bacteria which causes melioidosis, a condition that is difficult to diagnose and can be fatal," the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Two of the people whose cases were being investigated by the CDC have died. While the CDC has not yet confirmed the source of the infections, a bottle of the room spray "with the same type of bacteria was found in the home of one of the melioidosis decedents," the recall notice said.
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The recall affects 3,900 bottles of the room spray, which was sold in 5-ounce glass bottles at 55 Walmart stores and online, from February through October. The room spray was made in India, and has been pulled off the store shelves. Click here for a list of the room sprays and product numbers in the recall.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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