P&G recalls some Vicks spray after bacteria found

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co is voluntarily recalling about 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after finding the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of the product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany, and sold in the United States.

While no illnesses have been reported, the bacteria could cause serious infections for an individual with a compromised immune system or a chronic lung condition such as cystic fibrosis, P&G said.

So far, the problem appears to be limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product sold in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, where the company is recalling the product, P&G said.

P&G said it found the bacteria in a small amount of product from a lot sold in the United States. It is testing the U.K. and German lots that were produced from the same batch of raw material mixture.

The three lots account for about 120,000 bottles of product, a spokesman said. Last year, P&G sold 4.4 million bottles of the spray in the United States alone, he added.

The U.S. recall involves lot 9239028831 of Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-Hour Decongestant Ultra Fine Mist. In the United Kingdom, lot 9224028832 of Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray Solution is being recalled. In Germany, lot 9224028833 of Wick Sinex Schnupfenspray Dosiersystem is being recalled. The bottles are 15 milliliters in all three markets.

P&G said consumers who have the product should discard it and can call the company for a replacement coupon or refund.

The recall comes just a few weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned P&G about the marketing of other Vicks products, its DayQuil and NyQuil products with vitamin C.

Shares of Cincinnati-based P&G fell 1 percent to $61.81 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl; Editing by Derek Caney and Gerald E. McCormick)