Texas Burkholderia Pseudomallei Lawyer

Lawsuits were filed against Walmart after a deadly outbreak of infections with Burkholderia pseudomallei were linked to an aromatherapy spray.

Need a Texas Burkholderia Pseudomallei Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was infected with Burkholderia Pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) or diagnosed with melioidosis (also called Whitmore’s Disease), you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

B. Pseudomallei Lawsuit Filed After Tragic Death of Child

In February 2022, a lawsuit was filed by the parents of a 5-year-old boy from Georgia who died within days of being infected by B. pseudomallei in a bottle of aromatherapy spray from Walmart.

What Happened?

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 5-year-old boy named Wyatt, who was previously healthy before he was exposed to B. pseudomallei in a contaminated bottle of Walmart’s Better Homes and Gardens Aromatherapy Room Spray at his home in July 2021.

He was quickly hospitalized with symptoms like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, weakness, shallow breathing, and moderate dehydration. At the hospital, he tested positive for COVID-19, which is what doctors initially blamed when he developed life-threatening pneumonia.

Tragically, he died only 1 week after being infected with B. pseudomallei. It was only after his death that doctors discovered that he also an infection with B. pseudomallei, the bacteria that causes melioidosis.

Health officials investigated further, and discovered that a bottle of the Walmart aromatherapy spray in his home tested positive for B. pseudomallei. The product was recalled a few months later.

The Burkholderia pseudomallei lawsuit was filed on February 7, 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — Case Number 5:22-cv-00238.

Walmart Aromatherapy Spray Linked to Melioidosis Outbreak

In 2021, a deadly outbreak of melioidosis was linked to an aromatherapy spray from Walmart that was contaminated with B. pseudomallei where it was manufactured in India.

At least 4 people were infected with melioidosis in Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia. Two people died, including an adult in Kansas and a little boy in Georgia. Another 4-year-old girl from Texas suffered brain damage within days of being infected with B. pseudomallei in the aromatherapy spray.

What is Burkholderia Pseudomallei?

Burkholderia pseudomallei (or B. pseudomallei) is a bacteria that is found in contaminated soil or water. When it infects people, it causes a potentially deadly disease called Melioidosis or Whitmore’s disease.

Where Is It Found?

Historically, B. pseudomallei was only found in tropical and sub-tropical places, such as Southeast Asia, India, Northern Australia, and parts of Central America, South America, and Puerto Rico — but in 2022, B. pseudomallei was also found in Mississippi. In 2021, it was found in an aromatherapy spray from Walmart that was made in India, where B. pseudomallei is common.

B. Pseudomallei Found in Soil & Water in Mississippi

In July 2022, the CDC announced that B. pseudomallei had also been found in soil and water in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, proving that it has now spread to warmer parts of the U.S. and may pose health risks to people with underlying health issues. The CDC investigation was prompted when two unrelated people living in the Gulf Coast region became infected with B. pseudomallei two years apart — in 2020 and in 2022. Three tests in soil and puddle water were positive for B. pseudomallei.

How Does It Spread?

B. pseudomallei rarely spreads from person-to-person. Instead, infections primarily occur when people come into contact with contaminated soil (especially through open wounds on their hands, feet, or lower legs), drink contaminated water, or breathe air that contains contaminated water droplets or dust particles. The highest risk of infection is after heavy rains, flooding, or storms.

What Are The Symptoms?

Infections with B. pseudomallei cause a disease called Melioidosis, which is nicknamed “the great mimicker” because symptoms vary widely and are often mistaken for other diseases.

Some people develop a skin irritation, while others have an abscess on their liver or brain. Lung infections cause a cough and other non-specific symptoms.

The longer it takes for a correct diagnosis, the higher the risk of B. pseudomallei spreading to the blood and causing septic shock and death. B. pseudomallei is naturally resistant to many commonly-used antibiotics, which makes the infection difficult to treat. This is why the death-rate is estimated at 20-50% globally.

Symptoms Can Re-Appear Decades Later

Burkholderia pseudomallei can cause death with 48 hours. In other cases, the symptoms do not appear for weeks of being infected with B. pseudomallei. Melioidosis can also re-activate, with reports of latency lasting up to 26 years, as was seen in U.S. veterans returning from Vietnam, which is why it was called the “Vietnamese time bomb”.

Signs & Symptoms of Lung Infection With B. Pseudomallei

When B. pseudomallei infects the lungs, it is easily mistaken for tuberculosis, pneumonia, or bronchitis. The symptoms may include:

• Cough
• Chest pain when breathing
• Pus or blood in lung tissues
• Headache
• Fever
• Muscle soreness
• Weight loss

Need a Burkholderia Pseudomallei Lawyer in Texas?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.