Burkholderia cepacia complex outbreak originating from contaminated wash gloves.

Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates were detected from four patients who were admitted to the heart centre of southern Switzerland, between April and June 2019. An outbreak investigation was conducted. The three available patient samples were whole genome sequenced, showing that they all are Burkholderia cepacia species, and that two are identical. Isolates grown from sealed packages of disinfectant-free wash gloves used for personal hygiene were also genomically identical. The wash gloves appear to be the origin of the outbreak, contamination of which most likely occurred at the manufacturing site.