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.
From: WHO https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tetanus
What are the symptoms of tetanus?
Symptoms of tetanus can appear anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after you are infected with the tetanus bacteria. The average incubation period ranges from 7 to 10 days.
Symptoms are caused by toxins produced by the tetanus bacteria. The most common symptom is a stiff jaw that can often become locked, which is why it is known as lockjaw.
Some common symptoms include-
- Irritability and restlessness
- Stiffness of arms, legs, neck, stomach and jaw muscles
- fever and sweat
- Increased blood pressure and palpitations
- Difficulty swallowing
- headache
- Muscle spasms cause a strange-looking grin or smile
If not treated in time, tetanus infection can lead to suffocation and death.
What causes tetanus?
Tetanus is caused by a toxin produced by spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani found in dust, animal feces, and soil. When these spores penetrate deep into flesh wounds, they transform into bacteria that release a deadly toxin called tetanospasmin.
Muscles, that is, the motor neurons that control muscle function, are damaged by the poison. This causes muscle spasms and stiffness, which is a major symptom of tetanus.
Cases of tetanus are usually observed in people who have never been vaccinated or in adults who have not received their 10-year booster shot. Tetanus is not a contagious disease and therefore cannot be transferred from person to person.
How can one prevent a tetanus infection?
Timely vaccination is the only way to prevent tetanus infection. The tetanus vaccine shot is usually given into the deltoid muscle. Children are given shots in the thigh or arm.
It is effective only against tetanus and diphtheria.
DTaP is for babies and toddlers to protect against tetanus, pertussis (also known as whooping cough), and tetanus. The DTaP vaccine is a series of five shots, usually given in the thigh or arm of children aged:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 15 to 18 months
- 4 to 6 years
It is recommended that adolescents receive one dose of DTaP, preferably between the ages of 11 and 12, and a DT booster every 10 years.
To stay current with all your vaccinations, talk to your doctor to review your vaccination status regularly.
If you were not vaccinated against tetanus as a child, talk to your doctor about getting the Tdap vaccine. The shot is recommended if you haven’t had a booster shot in the last 10 years, or if you have a deep wound and haven’t had a booster shot in the last five years.
Source: https://healthlibrary.askapollo.com/bengali/tetanus-symptoms-causes-vaccination/
Verified By Apollo General Physician