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Background & Aim Background Microbial contamination (+MC) is a complication of bone marrow harvestS. However, risk factors for +MC and implications for recipients are not well-defined. Clinical interventions after +MC range from observation to antimicrobial therapy. Methods, Results & Conclusion Methods We report a retrospective review of 91 pediatric and 101 adult related-donor marrow harvests from Jan 2015 to Mar 2019. Harvests were performed at Boston Children's Hospital (pedi) or Brigham & Women's Hospital (adult) under general anesthesia. Donors received no systemic antimicrobials, just topical sterilization. Samples were cultured in BacT systems and incubated for 14 days at 35°C. Results 19.4% of harvested products from pedi and 24.8% from adult donors demonstrated ≥ 1 +MC result. Mean donor age, weight, gender, and volume harvested differed between pedi and adult donors: 12 vs 40yr, 45.2 vs 79.4kg, male 47% vs 65%, and 622 vs 1200mL. 37% and 39% of products underwent manipulation, respectively (Table 1). Mean time to detection was 4.7 and 6.1 days after pedi and adult harvests. 7.5% and 5.0% of harvests, respectively, yielded +MC ≤ 2 days; 11.8% and 5.9% by 5 days after harvest. Organisms isolated were P. acnes (n=29), Coag-negative Staphylococcus (n=13) and one other Propionibacterium species (n=1). We examined potential risk factors for + MC such as length of harvest (invasive harvesting time); donor age, weight and gender; manipulation; and cell yield (Table 2). In pediatric harvests, +MC correlated with donor age (19 vs 10yr, p Response to positive cultures was at attending physician discretion. Only 9.3% of recipients of a +MC marrow had antimicrobial therapy added, with no product-transmitted infection seen. Neutrophil and platelet engraftment did not differ between +MC vs No Growth marrow recipients. Rates of infusion reactions were within historical norms (19% adult and 11% pedi) and not impacted by +MC. Analyses of donor AEs and +MC unrelated donor harvests are ongoing. Conclusions +MCs are common after pediatric and adult donor harvests. Risk factors may include longer harvest time and higher donor weight but are not clearly modifiable. Despite this +MC incidence, medical implications for recipients and donors after +MC with routine skin flora are few.