Walmart
Walmart recalls household spray after detection of bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei
New York: Walmart has asked its buyers to immediately stop using a household spray, double-bag it, put it in a cardboard box and return it because it might contain a "rare and dangerous bacteria," according to a Bloomberg report.
The aromatherapy spray, a Better Homes and Gardens-branded product labeled "Lavender & Chamomile with Gemstones," was found to be the cause of a number of cases of melioidosis in the U.S. this year, a dangerous bacterial infection normally found in tropical climates.
The bacterial strains found in patients in Kansas, Minnesota and Texas matched to a spray bottle in the home of a Georgia patient, who was one of two people to have died in the cluster, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Tuesday.
Walmart said Tuesday it immediately withdrew the spray from nearly 55 stores in 18 U.S. states and also suspended online sales.
As an immediate measure, the retailer also emailed customers who bought the spray online and tracked down more than 2,000 people who purchased it in stores to inform them of the recall.
Customers who return the product get a full refund and a $20 gift card, the Bloomberg report said, adding that about 3,900 spray bottles in six different scents have been recalled.
The product was manufactured by closely held Flora Classique Inc., Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart said, Bloomberg stated.
"We are committed to providing safe, high-quality products to our customers," said Walmart. "Our sympathies go out to the four families that have been impacted by this situation."
The CDC warned against disposing of the product even by pouring the product down the drain or throwing it away.
The bacteria -- Burkholderia pseudomallei -- isn't common in the U.S., and it'd be better to keep it that way, the agency said, the report informed.
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