Tetanus

Tetanus is a disease that primarily affects the nervous system. The disease symptoms have been known since the ancient times, but the organism behind it was identified and isolated late in the 19th century and early in the twentieth century.4 Tetanus manifests in involuntary spasms of muscles beginning with facial muscles for generalized tetanus1. Stiffness of the neck is also experienced. The bacteria Clostridium tetani is responsible for production of toxins that cause tetanus. This bacterium exists in form of a dormant spore in the soil and in animal and adult fecal matter. 4(53) C. tetani is activated by lack of oxygen and presence of warmth and other factors inside deep wounds on the human body. The dormant spore form is resilient and survives in very harsh …show more content…
tetani. The bacteria is found in soil all over the world and especially in excrement. Farms that have fertility enhanced using natural animal manure have a higher incidence of C. tetani spores. However, C. tetani will be present in plain soil and contamination of a wound by soil may result in development of tetanus. After infection with C. tetani, tetanus symptoms will manifest in 4 to 14 days.4(51) In instances where symptoms manifest early, the probability of mortality is high. In addition, fatality is almost guaranteed for untreated tetanus infections. Lack of immunization poses a threat of infection and poor defensive reaction by the immune system.3 Therefore, tetanus incidents are common in areas where prompt and good quality health care is not available such as in developing countries. While developed countries with functional healthcare have low rate of incidence of the disease, a significant number of cases of infections are reported and a few of them are fatal. Tetanus does not need large open wounds to infect a victim.1(862) Some cases are of tiny wounds that tend to close over the infection site so that it can barely be