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December 27, 2022 2:54 pm
Aromatherapy spray that killed two people in a multistate outbreak also killed pet raccoon
The CDC revealed in October 2021 that an aromatherapy spray contaminated with deadly bacteria and sold at Walmart killed a 5-year-old boy in Georgia and a 53-year-old woman in Kansas.
Better Homes and Gardens Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones.CPSC
Dec. 16, 2022, 12:14 PM EST / Updated Dec. 16, 2022, 7:50 PM EST
A lavender and chamomile-scented aromatherapy spray contaminated with deadly bacteria that killed two people in 2021 also killed one of the victim's pet raccoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
In October 2021, investigators with the CDC discovered the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei in the lavender and chamomile scent of Better Homes & Gardens Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray With Gemstones, which had been imported from India and sold at 55 Walmart stores.
The bacteria causes a rare illness called melioidosis, which causes symptoms that can be confused with a flu or a cold and is treatable with certain intravenous antibiotics if caught early.
Walmart voluntarily recalled about 3,900 bottles of the product from the 55 stores in 18 states after the company became aware of the concerns, according to spokesperson Randy Hargrove. The company also reached out to over 2,000 customers who had purchased the spray alerting them of the recall and offering refunds.
“Our sympathies go out to the four families that have been impacted by this situation," Walmart said in a statement issued in October 2021. "Customer safety is always a top priority and as part of the recall we proactively put plans in action to notify customers and prevent further product sales while federal agencies continue their investigation.”
In a statement Friday, Better Homes & Gardens said they take issues of consumer safety "extremely seriously" and "fully supported Walmart last year as they worked to ensure that the product was recalled and discontinued.”
The spray was linked to a multistate outbreak that killed a 5-year-old boy in Georgia and a 53-year-old woman in Kansas. The aromatherapy spray was also the source of the illness of a 53-year-old man in Minnesota and a 4-year-old girl in Texas.
According to the CDC, the Texas patient's previously healthy pet raccoon broke a bottle of the spray and walked through the liquid in March 2021. The raccoon "displayed acute neurologic symptoms consistent with neurologic melioidosis" about two weeks after the exposure and died three days later.
“This is the first reported presumed melioidosis case documented in a raccoon and the first animal case linked to this outbreak,” the CDC said in a report published Friday.
OCT. 22, 202101:31
The CDC traveled to the Texas property to collect samples from the raccoon, who had been buried on the family's property, and the surrounding environment.
All the environmental samples collected from around the raccoon's burial site tested negative for the bacteria, according to the CDC.
After identifying the bacteria in the aromatherapy product in 2021, the CDC advised anyone with the spray in their home to stop using it immediately and dispose of it by double bagging it in clear bags and a cardboard box and taking it to a Walmart location.
The bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei are rarely found in the United States and are generally found in contaminated soil or water in parts of South and Southeast Asia.
While rare in the U.S., melioidosis is a serious disease with about 12 cases reported annually. Most cases are found in people who lived or traveled to areas where Burkholderia pseudomallei are found and person-to-person spread is "extremely rare," according to the CDC.
This topic was modified 3 years ago by deborahwaters@iectskin.com
Topic starter
January 6, 2023 12:48 pm
I have seen this brand in stores and the ingredients are not natural like so many they are just chemicals that can be harmful for us to breath. I have stopped using the chemical ones
February 19, 2023 6:47 pm
I use room sprays pretty frequently. I have never personally used this specific brand but I have used bath and both works room sprays and other random ones I find in boutiques. It's scary to know that if you aren't careful, it can be harmful.
February 19, 2023 6:50 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com I need to start checking the ingredients on things like this. I wouldn't want it to potentially cause harm to me or my pets.
May 28, 2024 3:37 pm
This is unsettling to me because personally I have used room sprays frequently. However it is very very smart to check the ingredients in these products to avoid something like this. Even though none of the users are at fault, this isn't something you would typically be worried about. After hearing this story I will for sure be checking from here on out!
May 28, 2024 3:38 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com I agree, I prefer the natural ones anyway because you do inhale these sprays and typically you spray them all over your room and it absorbs into fabrics.
May 28, 2024 3:39 pm
@madisonmauldiniectskin-com I agree, its always better to be safe rather than sorry and do whatever research is necessary.
May 30, 2024 1:04 pm
I do like room sprays but I haven't used them in a long time because I got a dog and I have been skeptical of them. I have seen this brand before but I have never purchased.
May 30, 2024 1:06 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com I will defiantly be reading the ingredients now when purchasing them.
May 30, 2024 1:48 pm
Good to know- i'll be double checking room sprays for my home and spa!
May 30, 2024 1:49 pm
@alexisdozieriectskin-com I'm catious too for our cats! That's sad that a pet could die from a room spray, too.
May 30, 2024 1:50 pm
@karyssamarleriectskin-com I use them frequently too- definitely double checking ingredients.
May 31, 2024 2:25 pm
This is an unfortunate incident. The bacteria grew on the lavender or the chamomile. Hopefully they can test for this in the future as there is no way to know a bottle is contaminated based on ingredients.
May 31, 2024 2:26 pm
@alexisdozieriectskin-com I like room sprays as well but haven't purchased any.
May 31, 2024 2:26 pm
@alexisdozieriectskin-com I like room sprays as well but haven't purchased any.
June 4, 2024 8:18 am
Ive never used any kind of room or air spray freshener before because of the chemicals it can hold. My friend likes all natural things and tells me to not even have candles because it can disrupt the endocrine system so I stay far from it. Its crazy all the things that can happen aswell as some non-native bacteria can get here threatening your health.
June 4, 2024 8:20 am
@alexisdozieriectskin-com I also have animals, multiple cats and there are so many plants that they can't be around so I just stray from it all to lessen possible risks. Except the occasional catnip of course.
June 4, 2024 8:22 am
@karyssamarleriectskin-com I always check the ingredients and look something up before I buy it but I run into the problem of feeling like I don't know enough so I end up not getting anything. Im always anxious after seeing stories like theses where everything looks to be fine but something is in there but not on the label and no one knows that its in there until something happens.
June 18, 2024 10:23 am
This is a scary thing, it is important to get your aromatherapy products from a reputable source. There are so many different brands and types of mixtures. Some people take essential oils orally, for therapeutic purposes, so they would especially need to be careful. I have been trying to be mindful of scented things and trying to stay away from heavily scented things.
