The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have urged the public to stop using four specific non-sterile alcohol-free wipe products amid an outbreak of the bacterial infection Burkholderia stabilis.
Between January 2018 and February 2026, 59 confirmed cases have been linked to the contaminated wipes, with one fatality reported. A limited number of new cases continue to be detected, including severe infections requiring hospital admission.
According to the UKHSA, Burkholderia stabilis is a naturally occurring environmental bacterium that rarely causes infection in healthy individuals, and the risk to the wider public is extremely low. However, immunocompromised people, those with cystic fibrosis, and patients managing intravenous lines at home face an elevated risk.
In July 2025, the MHRA issued notices to distributors, leading to the withdrawal of the affected products from sale. The agencies emphasised that non-sterile alcohol-free wipes of any type or brand should never be used for first aid, on broken skin, or for cleaning intravenous lines.
Dr James Elston, Consultant in Epidemiology and Public Health at UKHSA, said: “We are reminding the public not to use, and to dispose of, certain non-sterile alcohol-free wipes which have been linked to an outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis. The overall risk to the public remains very low, but we are continuing to see a small number of cases in vulnerable patients.”
Members of the public are advised to check their first aid kits and dispose of any affected wipes in household rubbish. Anyone with concerns about a wound or a fever after an injury should contact NHS 111 immediately.
