Rare bacterium contamination leads to voluntary recall of 174 million alcohol prep pads

Cardinal Health has issued a voluntary nationwide recall of select lots of its Webcol Large Alcohol Prep Pads (70% isopropyl alcohol) after microbial contamination was identified in the product, the company announced on March 19, 2026.¹ The pads are commonly used in veterinary clinics for preinjection skin preparation, intravenous catheter placement, and general wound care.

The contaminant was identified as Paenibacillus phoenicis, a spore-forming bacterium notable for its ability to survive in environments designed to be sterile. In fact, P phoenicis was first isolated from spacecraft assembly clean rooms.²

In its announcement, Cardinal Health noted that use of the affected pads could lead to local and systemic infections in vulnerable patients, including those undergoing chemotherapy or living with poorly controlled diabetes, who may be at greater risk of serious complications such as bacteremia or central nervous system infections.¹ Though the company's guidance is directed at human medicine, the same considerations may apply to immunocompromised veterinary patients or those undergoing invasive procedures.

The recall covers more than 174 million units distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan between September 2025 and February 2026.^1,2

BEACON, a program based at Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, called the bacterium a “rare pathogen” that may affect vulnerable human patients, noting that doctors should be aware that the recalled alcohol prep pads may be a source of P phoenicis infection.

Previous studies have found Paenibacillus spp to be resistant to certain antibiotics. One study found that 95.6% of Paenibacillus spp isolates were resistant to ampicillin, with variable resistance noted across other drug classes.^2,3 While Paenibacillus spp are not commonly associated with disease in animals, the clinical risk associated with contaminated products in veterinary settings is not yet fully understood.

Cardinal Health contacted customers by overnight mail on March 2, 2026, instructing them to check inventory for affected lot numbers, quarantine any identified product, and pass the recall notice along to any departments, clinics, or external facilities that handle the pads.¹

More than 300 lots of Webcol Large Alcohol Prep Pad (product code 5110) were affected. The full list of impacted lots can be viewed here.

Veterinary clinics with questions can contact Cardinal Health at [email protected] or by phone at 800-292-9332, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM EST. Adverse reactions or quality concerns can be reported to the FDA's MedWatch program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.¹

References

1. Cardinal Health issues voluntary nationwide recall of Webcol large alcohol prep pad. FDA. March 20, 2026. Accessed April 6, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/cardinal-health-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-webcoltm-large-alcohol-prep-pad
2. Paenibacillus phoenicis contamination leads to voluntary recall of 174 million alcohol prep pads in USA and Japan. Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases. March 22, 2026. Accessed April 6, 2026. https://beaconbio.org/en/report/?reportid=ff303c37-cba6-45d4-a647-bddf96d2d498&eventid=5ec983dc-5278-4f5f-8515-a5a5f90f4570
3. Sáez-Nieto JA, Medina-Pascual MJ, Carrasco G, et al. Paenibacillus spp. isolated from human and environmental samples in Spain: detection of 11 new species. New Microbes New Infect. 2017;19:19-27. doi:10.1016/j.nmni.2017.05.006