Tetanus, or lockjaw, an acute and often fatal infectious disease of the human nervous system, is characterized by severe spasms of the voluntary muscles and convulsions. The
symptoms are caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic bacterium that can infect deep
wounds where oxygen is unavailable. Its spores can be found in soil and in animal feces. The incubation period is usually five to ten days. The most frequently occurring symptom is jaw stiffness, which progresses to
difficulty in opening the jaws. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing, limb stiffness, fever, headache, and sore throat.
convulsions and death may follow. The prognosis is poor if symptoms progress rapidly or treatment with
Tetanus antitoxin is delayed. Children are routinely immunized by vaccination with toxoid. Booster shots are administered periodically thereafter, or when wounds occur that arouse concern of tetanus infection.
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