Tetanus scientific name

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Featured links • • • • • • Latest • • • • • • • Featured links • • • • • Latest • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Featured links • • • • Latest • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Featured links • • • • • Spotlight • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Featured links • • • • • • Spotlight • Tetanus is caused by a neurotoxin produced by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium tetani. Tetanus is unique among the vaccine preventable diseases in that it is not communicable. Disease occurs when the ubiquitous C. tetani spores are introduced into the hypo-aerobic conditions of devitalized tissue and puncture wounds, where they germinate and produce a neurotoxin. The inactivated toxin, termed tetanus toxoid, effectively induces antibody production and vaccines became commercially available already in 1938. Military recruits were among the first to be routinely immunised in Europe and the vaccine was later introduced to childhood immunisation programmes. Tetanus is rare in Europe ...

The bacteria that causes tetanus can be found on many surfaces, including soil. Fortunately, the tetanus vaccine is highly effective at preventing the disease. (Image credit: Getty Images) Tetanus is an infection caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Tetanus infection (sometimes called lockjaw) can be extremely serious, causing involuntary muscle contractions and seizures. Tetanus shots can also go by a few other names, like DT and Td. These vaccinations are tetanus shots that are administered with the vaccine for diphtheria and don't include pertussis toxoids. Related: How do vaccines work? The Experts also recommend a Tdap booster shot around age 12 and every 10 years thereafter. The If DTaP vaccines aren't given on schedule, a doctor will likely recommend the Tdap shot instead. The lower concentration of diphtheria and pertussis toxoids in the Tdap shot provides protection while minimizing side effects in older children and adults. The tetanus vaccine is administered in combination with vaccines for diphtheria and pertussis. (Image credit: Getty Images) What causes tetanus? When most people think of tetanus, Clostridium tetani is the culprit, and it can be found in a variety of places, including soil, animal feces and even a knife from your kitchen. Puncture wounds and deep, penetrating injuries are also often associated with tetanus. However, the C. tetani spores to enter the bloodstream, causing infection. Outside, exposed to air, C. tetani spores are dormant. B...

Wounded Australian soldiers receiving tetanus antitoxin outside a medical dressing station. 1918, Australian War Memorial E05242, Campbell, Australia. From: Shanks, Dennis. How World War 1 changed global attitudes to war and infectious diseases. New York: The Lancet, 2014. By Karley Carter Note: Essay 6 in a series, all from Dr. Amanda McVety’s Spring 2019 class on Medicine and Disease in Modern Society Tetanus has been a well known disease for thousands of years, with its effects becoming devastating at times when treatment was unknown. Due to developments of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were revolutionary improvements in the way the disease was handled. While tetanus carried with it a lack of social stigma due to its non-communicable nature, the fear of tetanus during war time prior to the twentieth century was real. With the discovery of both the tetanus antitoxin and toxoid, tetanus transformed from being a killer in war to something that was less than an afterthought in the minds of soldiers and the general population. Tetanus has been regarded in history all through time, with documents noting tetanus symptoms found from 1500 BC in Ancient Egypt, but are thought to have been copied from as early as 3000 BC. [1] While there was a general understanding that the disease came from something infecting an open wound, many ideas for treatment were not beneficial, such as early Chinese physicians needling patients above the ears around 300 BC, Hip...