What is tetanus disease

Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a bacterial infection that causes your neck and jaw muscles to lock up. You may have muscle spasms throughout your body. Tetanus occurs when a bacteria found in the environment called Clostridium tetani enter your body through a break in your skin. Tetanus can be prevented with a vaccine. Overview What is tetanus? Tetanus (pronounced “teh-tuh-nuhs”) is a bacterial infection that affects your Who does tetanus affect? Anyone can get tetanus, but the disease is more common in developing countries that don’t have widespread vaccination programs in place. In these countries, tetanus is typically seen in newborn babies and their unvaccinated birth parents. Tetanus is also more frequently seen in warm climates, on farms and among people assigned male at birth. In the U.S., tetanus infections usually occur in people who aren’t vaccinated against the disease. Tetanus is also seen in people who are elderly with lower immunity to the disease. How common is tetanus? Tetanus is very rare in the U.S. About 30 cases of tetanus are reported in the U.S. each year. Symptoms and Causes What are the signs and symptoms of tetanus? Early signs of a tetanus infection include Other symptoms may include: • • • • Muscle spasms in your stomach, back, arms and legs. • • • • Fast heart rate ( • Uncontrolled peeing (urination) and pooping (defecation). What does tetanus look like? If you have a tetanus infection, your muscles spasm or tighten. Your What is the incubatio...

Tetanus can be prevented with a simple vaccine. However, if you have not been vaccinated and are infected, the disease can cause muscle spasms ranging from mild to life-threatening. There are currently no blood tests available to diagnose tetanus. As such, treatment would begin upon the appearance of symptoms and may include a tetanus antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, antispasmodic drugs, and mechanical ventilation. • Local tetanusonly affects the muscles around the immediate area of infection. The spasms tend to be mild and last for only a few weeks, although they can sometimes precede generalized tetanus. • Cephalic tetanusis limited only the muscles of the head. It usually occurs after an injury to the head such as a skull fracture, laceration, or even a tooth extraction. Typically, this type of tetanus looks like paralysis of the facial nerve,, resulting in • Neonatal tetanusinvolves newborns of mothers who have not been vaccinated for tetanus. Because the baby has no inborn immunity to C. tetani,it is vulnerable to infection, most often as a result of an infected umbilical stump. While rare in the developed world, neonatal tetanus is the second leading cause of vaccine-preventable diseases among children worldwide. Causes Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium, meaning that it cannot live or grow where oxygen is present. When exposed to air, the bacterium will form a protective spore which allows it to remain in a dormant state, largely impervious to heat, dry...

Key facts • Tetanus is acquired through infection of a cut or wound with the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani, and most cases occur within 14 days of infection. Tetanus cannot be transmitted from person to person. • Tetanus can be prevented through immunization with tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines (TTCV). However, people who recover from tetanus do not have natural immunity and can be infected again. • The majority of reported tetanus cases are birth-associated among newborn babies and mothers who have not been sufficiently vaccinated with TTCV. • In 2015, about 34 000 newborns died from neonatal tetanus, a 96% reduction since 1988, largely due to scaled-up immunization with TTCV. • In 2016, 86% of infants worldwide were vaccinated with 3 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) containing vaccine. Tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani. The spores are found everywhere in the environment, particularly in soil, ash, intestinal tracts/feces of animals and humans, and on the surfaces of skin and rusty tools like nails, needles, barbed wire, etc. Being very resistant to heat and most antiseptics, the spores can survive for years. Anyone can get tetanus, but the disease is particularly common and serious in newborn babies and pregnant women who have not been sufficiently immunized with tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines. Tetanus during pregnancy or within 6 weeks of the end of pregnancy is called “maternal tet...

This article is about the disease. For the physiological use of the term, see Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a Tetanus Other names Lockjaw Usual onset 3–21 days following exposure Duration Months Causes Break in the skin Based on symptoms Prevention Treatment 10% risk of death Frequency 209,000 (2015) Deaths 56,700 (2015) C. tetani is commonly found in soil, saliva, dust, and manure. The bacteria generally enter through a break in the skin, such as a cut or puncture wound caused by a contaminated object. Tetanus can be prevented by Tetanus occurs in all parts of the world, but is most frequent in hot and wet climates where the soil has a high organic content. Contents • 1 Signs and symptoms • 1.1 Incubation period • 1.2 Generalized tetanus • 1.3 Neonatal tetanus • 1.4 Local tetanus • 1.5 Cephalic tetanus • 2 Cause • 3 Pathophysiology • 3.1 Neurospecific binding • 3.2 Internalization • 3.3 Membrane translocation • 3.4 Enzymatic target cleavage • 4 Diagnosis • 5 Prevention • 5.1 Post-exposure prophylaxis • 6 Treatment • 6.1 Mild tetanus • 6.2 Severe tetanus • 7 Epidemiology • 8 History • 8.1 Etymology • 9 Research • 10 See also • 11 References • 12 External links Signs and symptoms Tetanus often begins with mild Prolonged muscular action causes sudden, powerful, and painful contractions of muscle groups, called Even with treatment, about 10% of people who contract tetanus die. Incubation period The Generalized tetanus Generalized tetanus is the most common type of tetanu...

Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a serious infection caused by Clostridium tetani. This bacterium produces a toxin that affects the brain and nervous system, leading to stiffness in the muscles. If Clostridium tetani spores are deposited in a wound, the neurotoxin interferes with nerves that control muscle movement. The infection can cause severe muscle spasms, serious breathing difficulties, and can ultimately be fatal. Although tetanus treatment exists, it is not uniformly effective. The best way to protect against tetanus is to take the vaccine. Share on Pinterest Tetanus can be fatal but vaccinations are standard in the U.S. Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection. The bacteria exist in soil, manure, and other environmental agents. A person who experiences a puncture wound with a contaminated object can develop the infection, which can affect the whole body. It can be fatal. In the United States, there are about Tetanus is a medical emergency. It Tetanus symptoms usually emerge about 7 to 10 days after initial infection. However, this can vary from 4 days to about 3 weeks, and may, in some cases, may take months. In general, the further the injury site is from the Muscle symptoms include spasms and stiffness. Stiffness usually starts with the chewing muscles, hence the name lockjaw. Muscle spasms then spread to the neck and throat, causing difficulties with swallowing. Patients often have spasms in their facial muscles. Breathing difficulties may result from neck and ...

Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a serious infection caused by Clostridium tetani. This bacterium produces a toxin that affects the brain and nervous system, leading to stiffness in the muscles. If Clostridium tetani spores are deposited in a wound, the neurotoxin interferes with nerves that control muscle movement. The infection can cause severe muscle spasms, serious breathing difficulties, and can ultimately be fatal. Although tetanus treatment exists, it is not uniformly effective. The best way to protect against tetanus is to take the vaccine. Share on Pinterest Tetanus can be fatal but vaccinations are standard in the U.S. Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection. The bacteria exist in soil, manure, and other environmental agents. A person who experiences a puncture wound with a contaminated object can develop the infection, which can affect the whole body. It can be fatal. In the United States, there are about Tetanus is a medical emergency. It Tetanus symptoms usually emerge about 7 to 10 days after initial infection. However, this can vary from 4 days to about 3 weeks, and may, in some cases, may take months. In general, the further the injury site is from the Muscle symptoms include spasms and stiffness. Stiffness usually starts with the chewing muscles, hence the name lockjaw. Muscle spasms then spread to the neck and throat, causing difficulties with swallowing. Patients often have spasms in their facial muscles. Breathing difficulties may result from neck and ...

Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a bacterial infection that causes your neck and jaw muscles to lock up. You may have muscle spasms throughout your body. Tetanus occurs when a bacteria found in the environment called Clostridium tetani enter your body through a break in your skin. Tetanus can be prevented with a vaccine. Overview What is tetanus? Tetanus (pronounced “teh-tuh-nuhs”) is a bacterial infection that affects your Who does tetanus affect? Anyone can get tetanus, but the disease is more common in developing countries that don’t have widespread vaccination programs in place. In these countries, tetanus is typically seen in newborn babies and their unvaccinated birth parents. Tetanus is also more frequently seen in warm climates, on farms and among people assigned male at birth. In the U.S., tetanus infections usually occur in people who aren’t vaccinated against the disease. Tetanus is also seen in people who are elderly with lower immunity to the disease. How common is tetanus? Tetanus is very rare in the U.S. About 30 cases of tetanus are reported in the U.S. each year. Symptoms and Causes What are the signs and symptoms of tetanus? Early signs of a tetanus infection include Other symptoms may include: • • • • Muscle spasms in your stomach, back, arms and legs. • • • • Fast heart rate ( • Uncontrolled peeing (urination) and pooping (defecation). What does tetanus look like? If you have a tetanus infection, your muscles spasm or tighten. Your What is the incubatio...

Key facts • Tetanus is acquired through infection of a cut or wound with the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani, and most cases occur within 14 days of infection. Tetanus cannot be transmitted from person to person. • Tetanus can be prevented through immunization with tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines (TTCV). However, people who recover from tetanus do not have natural immunity and can be infected again. • The majority of reported tetanus cases are birth-associated among newborn babies and mothers who have not been sufficiently vaccinated with TTCV. • In 2015, about 34 000 newborns died from neonatal tetanus, a 96% reduction since 1988, largely due to scaled-up immunization with TTCV. • In 2016, 86% of infants worldwide were vaccinated with 3 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) containing vaccine. Tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani. The spores are found everywhere in the environment, particularly in soil, ash, intestinal tracts/feces of animals and humans, and on the surfaces of skin and rusty tools like nails, needles, barbed wire, etc. Being very resistant to heat and most antiseptics, the spores can survive for years. Anyone can get tetanus, but the disease is particularly common and serious in newborn babies and pregnant women who have not been sufficiently immunized with tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines. Tetanus during pregnancy or within 6 weeks of the end of pregnancy is called “maternal tet...

Tetanus can be prevented with a simple vaccine. However, if you have not been vaccinated and are infected, the disease can cause muscle spasms ranging from mild to life-threatening. There are currently no blood tests available to diagnose tetanus. As such, treatment would begin upon the appearance of symptoms and may include a tetanus antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, antispasmodic drugs, and mechanical ventilation. • Local tetanusonly affects the muscles around the immediate area of infection. The spasms tend to be mild and last for only a few weeks, although they can sometimes precede generalized tetanus. • Cephalic tetanusis limited only the muscles of the head. It usually occurs after an injury to the head such as a skull fracture, laceration, or even a tooth extraction. Typically, this type of tetanus looks like paralysis of the facial nerve,, resulting in • Neonatal tetanusinvolves newborns of mothers who have not been vaccinated for tetanus. Because the baby has no inborn immunity to C. tetani,it is vulnerable to infection, most often as a result of an infected umbilical stump. While rare in the developed world, neonatal tetanus is the second leading cause of vaccine-preventable diseases among children worldwide. Causes Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium, meaning that it cannot live or grow where oxygen is present. When exposed to air, the bacterium will form a protective spore which allows it to remain in a dormant state, largely impervious to heat, dry...

Overview Tetanus is a serious disease of the nervous system caused by a toxin-producing bacterium. The disease causes muscle contractions, particularly of your jaw and neck muscles. Tetanus is commonly known as lockjaw. Severe complications of tetanus can be life-threatening. There's no cure for tetanus. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and complications until the effects of the tetanus toxin resolve. Symptoms The average time from infection to appearance of signs and symptoms (incubation period) is 10 days. The incubation period can range from 3 to 21 days. The most common type of tetanus is called generalized tetanus. Signs and symptoms begin gradually and then progressively worsen over two weeks. They usually start at the jaw and progress downward on the body. Signs and symptoms of generalized tetanus include: • Painful muscle spasms and stiff, immovable muscles (muscle rigidity) in your jaw • Tension of muscles around your lips, sometimes producing a persistent grin • Painful spasms and rigidity in your neck muscles • Difficulty swallowing • Rigid abdominal muscles Progression of tetanus results in repeated painful, seizure-like spasms that last for several minutes (generalized spasms). Usually, the neck and back arch, the legs become rigid, the arms are drawn up to the body, and the fists are clenched. Muscle rigidity in the neck and abdomen may cause breathing difficulties. These severe spasms may be triggered by minor events that stimulate the senses — a loud ...