Tetanus (Tetanus)

Tetanus is a disease caused by bacteria and is fatal in about one third of all cases - especially if older people are affected.

Tetanus is triggered by the pathogen Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that is extremely resistant and widespread in our environment. The infection occurs when the clostridia penetrates through a mostly soiled wound.

Tetanus toxin, which is released by bacteria, leads to cramps and paralysis after an incubation period of three to 60 days. These begin in the face and then spread over the whole body.

As the population is consistently vaccinated, tetanus is very rare nowadays. If an unvaccinated person is injured, an early combination vaccination can prevent the tetanus from breaking out. As soon as symptoms of tetanus occur, however, only measures are available to alleviate them - there is no antidote to the toxin of the tetanus pathogen.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus _{(Wikipedia CC-by-sa-3.0)}