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Walmart is recalling an aromatherapy spray that contains a deadly bacteria

Walmart is recalling about 3,900 bottles of Better Homes and Gardens-branded Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones in six different scents due to the possibility of a rare and dangerous bacteria discovered.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Walmart is recalling about 3,900 bottles of Better Homes and Gardens-branded Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones in six different scents due to the possibility of a rare and dangerous bacteria discovered.

Walmart is recalling an essential-oil aromatherapy spray after a "rare and dangerous bacteria" that can cause a potentially fatal condition was reported, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. Officials are investigating four confirmed cases and there have been two deaths, including that of a child, associated with the bacteria, according to the agency.

The CPSC said that about 3,900 bottles of Walmart's Better Homes and Gardens-branded Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones are being recalled due to the discovery of a rare and dangerous bacteria called Burkholderia pseudomallei.

The bacteria is known to cause melioidosis, a condition that is difficult to diagnose and can be deadly, the recall notice says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating four confirmed cases of melioidosis across four states — Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia, according to the CPSC.

The CDC did not yet confirm the source of four infections, officials say a bottle with the same type of bacteria was found in the home of one of the people who died because of the bacteria.

Consumers are urged to stop using the spray immediately and return the product to any Walmart store for a full refund, CDC says.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jonathan Franklin
Jonathan Franklin is a digital reporter on the News desk covering general assignment and breaking national news.