Health Alert: Check Your First Aid Kit

Important Safety Information

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding everyone to check the contents of their home and workplace first aid kits.

A type of bacteria called Burkholderia stabilis, which occurs naturally in the environment, has been linked to serious infections in people exposed through non-sterile alcohol-free wipes that were previously on the market.

Although most healthy people face a very low risk, a total of 59 confirmed cases of infection linked to these wipes have been identified in the UK, and one death has been associated with such an infection. Those most at risk include people with weakened immune systems (for example, due to chemotherapy or certain health conditions), people with cystic fibrosis, and those with intravenous (IV) lines at home.

• Check your first aid kits and cupboards for any non-sterile alcohol-free wipes — especially the brands below.

• If you find any of the following, do not use them — and dispose of them safely in household waste:

  • ValueAid Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes

  • Microsafe Moist Wipe Alcohol Free

  • Steroplast Sterowipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes

  • Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes

• Only use wipes clearly labelled “sterile” on cuts, grazes, broken skin, or areas where blood is visible.

Follow official NHS guidance for treating cuts and grazes — typically involving clean, sterile wound care products and good hand hygiene.