Overview
- Health officials report 59 confirmed UK cases of Burkholderia stabilis from January 2018 to 3 February 2026, including one death, with a small number of recent cases still detected.
- Non-sterile alcohol-free wipes should not be used for first aid, on broken or damaged skin, or to clean intravenous lines, according to updated UKHSA and MHRA guidance.
- Four named products are implicated: ValueAid Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, Microsafe Moist Wipe Alcohol Free, Steroplast Sterowipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, and Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, the last of which carried a different Burkholderia strain.
- Those at highest risk include people managed at home with intravascular devices, immunocompromised individuals, and patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
- UKHSA identified the link through wipe testing and issued a safety alert in June 2025, the MHRA ordered withdrawals in July 2025, and the public is urged to check home kits, dispose of affected wipes, and note there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission.