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tetanus. What is tetanus?. Tetanus is a condition that affects the nervous system and causes painful, uncontrolled muscle spasms. . How can you get tetanus?. You get tetanus by having a cut or wound that becomes infected with C. tetani . C.
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What is tetanus? Tetanus is a condition that affects the nervous system and causes painful, uncontrolled muscle spasms.
How can you get tetanus? You get tetanus by having a cut or wound that becomes infected with C. tetani. C. tetani grows in wounds, especially closed wounds like punctures, and makesa toxin that paralyzes muscles. tetanus can be deadlyby paralyzing breathing muscles.
Symptoms of tetanus Early symptoms of tetanus include: • Painful muscle spasms that begin in the jaw (lock jaw) • Stiff neck, shoulder and back muscles • Difficulty swallowing • Violent generalized muscle spasms • Convulsions • Breathing difficulties
Who is at risk • In Australia, tetanus mostly occurs in older adults who were not adequately immunized. • In poor countries, with lower immunization rates, newborn children, and young adults are also at risk. • Injecting drug users may have a greater risk of being infected with the bacteria from contaminated injection sites.
How often do I need to get atetanus vaccination? Everybody needs an initial course of three doses of the vaccine, to teach the immune system to recognise the tetanus toxin. Booster doses are then needed to help keep the body’s memory active. Children need several vaccinations: • At 2, 4, 6 and 18 months. • Before starting school at 4-5 years. • Before leaving school at 15-19 years.