Seasonal Variation of Acinetobacter baumannii Wound Infections in Burnt Patients

In the recent years, Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a major nosocomial pathogen, particularly in burn and intensive care units. Based on the several studies showing the seasonal increase in incidence of A. baumannii infections in the summer months, we conduct a study to determine the incidence of wound infections in patients admitted to a burn hospital over a one-year period. 298 burned patients hospitalized in Motahari burn care center were investigated for A. baumannii wound infection during the one-year period.The correlation between infection rates and weather conditions in each month was analyzed statistically using SPSS software. The wound infection rate due to A. baumannii was 25.5%. Significant difference was found statistically between the first and second six-month of study period in the infection rate. In addition, the highest rate of Acinetobacter infection was between late June and late September. Due to higher prevalence of A. baumannii strains in warm months of the year, it is necessary to implement essential measures for decrease infections caused by such bacteria and improve health care quality in burned patients.