Outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis associated with non-sterile ultrasound gel, United Kingdom, 2024-2025

We describe a multi-regional outbreak of Burkholderia (B.) stabilis sequence type 1565 in the United Kingdom associated with an internationally distributed non-sterile ultrasound gel. Cases (7 confirmed, 1 probable) were from 5 hospitals and 1 hospice. 3 cases were identified from a critical care setting. All specimens were from sterile sites and 2 cases were clinically relevant. Multi-stakeholder intervention was required including risk communications and product recall. This outbreak highlights the importance of safe use of non-sterile ultrasound gel to mitigate infection risk.