The US Centers for Disease Control And Prevention has asked people to stop using an aromatherapy spray manufactured in India after it was found to have contained a potentially harmful bacterium that affected four people, two of which who died. The spray "Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones" was found to contain the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei that causes a rare disease called melioidosis.
This aromatherapy spray was picked up from the house of a Georgia resident on October 6 while the officials were investigating how the person suffered from the rare disease in late July. It has come under the limelight as the CDC suspects that the same product could have caused the three other cases. Earlier in 2020, melioidosis cases were reported from Kansas, Texas, and Minnesota. Two of these four people died due to the illness. The CDC is now trying to verify if the genetic makeup of the bacterium found in the aromatherapy spray matches the genetic makeup of the bacterium diagnosed in the other three humans.
The Burkholderia pseudomallei is normally prevalent in South Asia. As the product was made in India, the CDC believes that this batch of products could have picked up the strain in the country. It has asked the supermarket chain Walmart to recall this lavender and chamomile essential oil along with five other products belonging to the same product line. Walmart pulled out the product from 55 of its stores as well as its website on October 21, 2021. Before that, the product was available to purchase across these stores from February.
While the CDC has issued a statement saying that they have been testing blood samples, soil, water, consumer products from the homes of the four victims, it has also expressed its dismay at the unfortunate situation. "Our hearts go out to the families that have been impacted by this situation," said Inger Damon, MD, MPH, director of CDC's Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, which manages melioidosis.
"We at CDC have been very concerned to see these serious related illnesses spread across time and geography. That is why our scientists have continued to work tirelessly to try to find the potential source for the melioidosis infections in these patients. We hope this work can help protect other people who may have used this spray," added Damon.
BOOM has written to Better Homes and Gardens for their reaction to the CDC recalling its products. The story will be updated with their response as and when we receive it.
How Did The CDC Zero On This Product?
A multi-state outbreak of melioidosis among patients with no history of international travel led to the CDC realising that it was an imported product that was responsible for the spread of the disease. After studying the specimens that they obtained from the four households, they found that all four of them were using the aromatherapy spray. The bacteria was traced at the house of the patient in Georgia. CDC is now matching the bacteria's genetic makeup with the products at the house of the three others.
The CDC has asked people to stop using this product with immediate effect. It has also advised doctors to not rule out melioidosis in patients who have not travelled internationally but still exhibit symptoms that are not cured by a round of antibiotics.
What Is Melioidosis?
Melioidosis is also called Whitmore's disease which is an infection predominantly seen in tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This specific species of bacteria contaminates soil and water and is transmitted to humans and animals when they come in contact with the source.
Human to human transmission of the disease is rare. It also affects tropical freshwater fish, cattle, cats, dogs, sheep, goats, swines, horses, etc.
Melioidosis is often mistaken for other diseases like tuberculosis. According to the CDC, the time between an exposure to the bacteria that causes the disease and the emergence of symptoms is not clearly defined but may range from one day to many years; generally, symptoms appear two to four weeks after exposure. Although healthy people may get melioidosis, underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer may increase the risk of diseases.
International travel is one of the biggest risks to being exposed to the bacterium. Treatment is mostly through intravenous injections or pipes that deliver the necessary drugs to the body. The intravenous medication is given for at least two years and can even go up to eight years.
Why Is This Particular Bacteria Harmful?
The causative bacterium grows naturally only in two places in the US- Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. As the habitat of the bacterium is mostly in tropical climates, public health authorities have claimed that the bacterium can be used to plan a biological attack and fuel bioterrorism.
A biological attack is the intentional release of germs that can sicken or kill people, livestock, or crops. In the past, some countries that have used bioweapons during war have used germs closely related to the one that causes melioidosis.
Melioidosis is lethal as without treatment, up to 9 out of every 10 people who are infected, die. When people with melioidosis are treated with the appropriate antibiotics, the death number falls down fewer than 4 out of 10 people.
These germs have no particular smell, taste and are also invisible to the naked eye, thus people might not know right away if there has been an attack. An attack might not be noticed until doctors begin to see many people sick with fevers and respiratory illnesses and diagnose it as melioidosis after a genetic checkup of the illness causing bacteria.