According to a number of US media reports, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on October 22 local time that "rare and dangerous" bacteria were found in an aromatherapy spray sold in about 55 Walmart supermarkets in the United States, which has caused 2 deaths so far.
Deadly bacteria are found in aromatherapy sprays
U.S. Walmart emergency recall
According to the CDC, it tested a version of the aromatherapy spray called Better Home and Garden and determined it contained Pseudomonas rhinocytosis.
This bacterium causes rhinoidosis, which has symptoms similar to colds and flu, and 4 people in the United States have been infected with such diseases. The four patients were from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas, and two of them died.
U.S. media reported that the CDC had been investigating the source of the disease until it was found in an aromatherapy spray in a patient's home in Georgia on Oct. 6.
Produced in India, this aromatherapy spray is reportedly available in six scents and has been sold in about 55 Walmart stores and online stores across the U.S. between February and October 21 this year. Walmart is recalling 3,900 bottles of the type of spray that have been sold.
Pictured| CCTV news screen
It is still not certain which ingredient is in the aromatherapy
is the source of infection
The CDC team recommends that consumers who have purchased the aromatherapy spray stop using it immediately, pack the bottle in a transparent zipper bag, put it in a cardboard box, and return it to any Walmart store.
The CDC also warns consumers not to open the bottle and not to try to throw away or dispose of the spray without permission.
The CDC said the gene profile of the bacteria detected in the bottle was similar to that of common strains in South Asia.
At present, the CDC still does not know which ingredient in the aromatherapy is the source of the infection, but the "gem" component has attracted the attention of experts.
Jennifer McQueston, an epidemiologist in charge of the investigation, believes that if the stones in the aromatherapy bottle are collected from a bacterial environment and are not sterilized before entering the production line, it is possible to carry germs. It's also possible that another ingredient is contaminated, with the stone forming a microenvironment in the bottle that allows bacteria to grow inside.
"That's why we think this information needs to be published immediately, although we're still waiting for the sequence confirmation results to prove that what's in the bottle matches the patient from Georgia." McQueston said.
So far, the CDC has successfully linked this strain of bacteria to infected people in Texas, Kansas and Minnesota. The agency is investigating whether the brand's other flavors of aromatherapy have the same risk.
The first of the world's top 500 companies
Walmart has a market capitalization of more than $400 billion
According to public information, Wal-Mart is a worldwide chain enterprise in the United States, and it is the world's largest company in terms of turnover.
Walmart's global fiscal 2021 revenue reached $559.2 billion, and its current total market capitalization is $413.6 billion. Ranked No. 1 on the 2021 Fortune Global 500 list, it employs more than 2.2 million people worldwide.
Walmart entered China in 1996, opening its first Walmart hypermarket and Sam's Club in Shenzhen. After more than 20 years of development in China, it has opened more than 400 stores and about 22 distribution centers in more than 170 cities across the country.
Source: Qilu Evening News