Walmart Recalls Room Spray Over "Rare" Bacteria Linked to Deaths

Walmart's aromatherapy spray was linked to a cluster of cases in the US this year of melioidosis.

Walmart Inc. told customers 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."

The aromatherapy spray, a Better Homes and Gardens-branded product labeled "Lavender & Chamomile with Gemstones," was linked to a cluster of cases in the U.S. this year of melioidosis, a dangerous bacterial infection normally found in tropical climates.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Tuesday that its lab tests had genetically matched the bacterial strains of patients in Kansas, Minnesota and Texas to a spray bottle in the home of a Georgia patient who was one of two people to have died in the cluster.

Walmart said Tuesday it immediately pulled the product from about 55 stores in 18 U.S. states and stopped online sales. The retailer emailed customers who purchased the spray online and tracked down more than 2,000 people who bought it in stores to inform them of the recall. Customers who return the product get a full refund and a $20 gift card.