'Everyone knows that if you step on a rusty nail you’d better get a tetanus shot, right? Well, my gut was has been saying no for this vaccine, but I honestly wasn’t sure what I’d do if one of my outdoor roaming kids came home with a dirty, nasty cut. So I decided to do some research…
Tetanus, sometimes called ‘lockjaw’, is caused when the tetanus bacteria (Clostridium tetani) gets in the blood stream and releases a nervous system toxin called tetanospasmin.
Most tetanus comes from soil, animal feces or dust. Puncture wounds are notable because tetanus-harboring dirt or dust collected on the sharp object and be driven into the body. The nail is simply the carrier of the bacteria into the body’s blood stream. (source)
When there’s enough oxygen to a wound, the tetanus bacteria can’t survive and its toxin won’t proliferate. In cases when the bacteria thrives, the infected person may experience stiffening of the jaw and other major muscles, severe muscle spasms, headaches, fever, trouble swallowing, and even death.'
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