Walmart is recalling nearly 4,000 bottles from a line of aromatherapy spray products linked with a bacterial disease outbreak. A bottle of “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones” tested positive for B. pseudomallei, a rare and sometimes deadly bacteria that causes melioidosis.
When I saw the headline I thought it would be something like Staph, not fucking Burkholderia pseudomallei. B. pseudomallei is put on the “tier 1 select agent” list because it has strong potential as a bioterror weapon. Also on that list are Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and Yersinia pestis (black plague).
I really appreciate the 20 dollar Walmart gift card in exchange for being exposed to that
If you were exposed to this, don’t accept the gift card and definitely don’t sign anything. There is almost certainly going to be a lawsuit and Walmart’s lawyers might try to argue that the gift card constitutes a settlement and anyone who took it isn’t entitled to anything else.
Recall Date: October 22, 2021
The aromatherapy room spray was sold at about 55 Walmart stores nationwide and online at walmart(dot)com from February 2021 through October 2021 for about $4.
84140411421 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lemon and Mandarin
84140411422 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lavender
84140411423 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Peppermint
84140411424 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lime & Eucalyptus
84140411425 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Sandalwood and Vanilla
I am baffled and astonished at how the actual fuck the manufacturing process for some perfume with rocks in went wrong enough to produce an actual bioweapon. So yeah, this needs a lawsuit and a really serious investigation.
I’m sorry Black Plague?
As in The Bubonic Plague
As in the very deadly disease that wiped out a quarter of Europe’s population?
How the fuck does it get in ESSENTIAL OILS
Not bubonic plague this time, fortunately - the bacteria in this one cause melioidosis, which is a nasty infection with symptoms similar to TB, which it’s often misdiagnosed as, and which can be fatal if untreated. The reason why I say “fortunately” is that it’s nowhere near as infectious as black plague - human to human transmission of melioidosis is pretty rare, and it’s usually caught by exposure to contaminated water. There won’t be an outbreak here if the product recall goes according to plan.
This does make me suspect that something went very wrong with water treatment in the factory that made this, and makes me worry what other microbes might be in its products.
Also: if you have these products, it’s really important that you take them back to the shops. Do not throw them in the bin or pour them down the sink, that’ll risk the bacteria getting into the water supply.
