Aromatherapy spray linked to Georgia death faces recall

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that its scientists found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease in an aromatherapy spray found in the Georgia patient's home.
James Gathany

Captured by James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control's biomedical photographer, this 2006 image depicted the exterior of the new "Tom Harkin Global Communications Center", otherwise known as Building 19, located on the organization's Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. The facility houses the CDC's Information Center/Library, auditoria and meeting halls, which are used to accommodate in-house staff meetings, and national/international conferences hosted by the CDC, and the National Center for Health Marketing's, Division of Creative Services, which includes a full service television broadcast facility.

The exhibit area currently features the <i>"Global Symphony"</i>, the first of several permanently installed exhibitions, and changing exhibitions that focus on a variety of public health topics. The exhibits in the Center are self-guided, and require no advance reservations. Additional curriculum-based exhibits and programming will be added in the future.<p><u>Tom Harkin Global Communications Center Exhibit Area Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</u><p>- 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30333<p>- Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, except for federal holidays Admission is free<p>- Government-issue photo ID is required for entry. Please note that CDC is a working federal facility and as such does not provide public tours of its campus and laboratories.<p>- For more information please call 404-639-0830.

Credit: Photographer: James Gathany

Credit: Photographer: James Gathany

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that its scientists found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease in an aromatherapy spray found in the Georgia patient's home. James Gathany Captured by James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control's biomedical photographer, this 2006 image depicted the exterior of the new "Tom Harkin Global Communications Center", otherwise known as Building 19, located on the organization's Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. The facility houses the CDC's Information Center/Library, auditoria and meeting halls, which are used to accommodate in-house staff meetings, and national/international conferences hosted by the CDC, and the National Center for Health Marketing's, Division of Creative Services, which includes a full service television broadcast facility. The exhibit area currently features the <i>"Global Symphony"</i>, the first of several permanently installed exhibitions, and changing exhibitions that focus on a variety of public health topics. The exhibits in the Center are self-guided, and require no advance reservations. Additional curriculum-based exhibits and programming will be added in the future.<p><u>Tom Harkin Global Communications Center Exhibit Area Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</u><p>- 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30333<p>- Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, except for federal holidays Admission is free<p>- Government-issue photo ID is required for entry. Please note that CDC is a working federal facility and as such does not provide public tours of its campus and laboratories.<p>- For more information please call 404-639-0830.

NEW YORK — U.S. health officials may have solved the mystery of how four people in different states — including Georgia — came down with a deadly tropical disease, even though none had traveled internationally.

The people — from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas — may have been infected by an aromatherapy spray imported from India. Two of them, one a child in Georgia, died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that its scientists found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease in an aromatherapy spray found in the Georgia patient's home.

The agency said it was testing to confirm the bacteria in the bottle is the same strain as that seen in the four patients. It previously said lab analyses showed all four infections were closely related.

The spray was made in India. The genetic profile of the bacteria in the spray is similar to that of strains usually found in South Asia, the agency said.

The contaminated spray is labeled “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones,” the CDC said. It was sold for $4 in 55 Walmart stores and on Walmart’s website starting in February and until Thursday.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Walmart issued a recall Friday for 3,900 bottles of the spray in six scents. Officials are investigating whether other scents and brands may pose a risk.

Melioidosis is rare in the United States, with about 12 cases reported annually. People can get it through direct contact with contaminated soil and water. The CDC said the infection is treatable if caught early and treated correctly.