Because of the widespread use of vaccines, cases of tetanus are rare in the United States and other parts of the developed world. The disease remains a threat to people who aren't up to date on their vaccinations. It's more common in developing countries.
About 30 people in the U.S get tetanus annually, and one or two out of 10 cases can be fatal. Tetanus-associated deaths almost always occur among unvaccinated people, or those with incomplete or unknown vaccination history.
Tetanus is rare in Australia because of high vaccination coverage.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that causes muscle spasms and breathing problems. Tetanus is uncommon in Australia because of the widespread use of the tetanus vaccine.
“It's uncommon in the United States—there are about 30 reported cases each year. But nearly all those cases were in people who weren't vaccinated.” Other tetanus risk factors—besides being unvaccinated—include: A foreign object in a wound, such as a splinter or a nail.
When to see a doctor. Tetanus is a life-threatening disease. If you have signs or symptoms of tetanus, seek emergency care. If you have a simple, clean wound — and you've had a tetanus shot within 10 years — you can care for your wound at home.
Contact your health care provider right away if you have an open wound, particularly if: You are injured outdoors. The wound has been in contact with soil. You have not received a tetanus booster (vaccine) within 10 years or you are not sure of your vaccination status.
Tetanus is sometimes found in dust and animal faeces. Infection may occur after minor injury (sometimes unnoticed punctures to the skin that are contaminated with soil, dust or manure) or after major injuries such as open fractures, dirty or deep penetrating wounds, and burns.
If you do not have a cut or wound, you do not need to get a tetanus shot – regardless of your exposure to floodwater. If you get a cut or puncture wound and haven't had a tetanus shot, then you will need to get one.
Risk groups
The risk of death from tetanus is highest among people 60 years of age or older. Diabetes, a history of immunosuppression, and intravenous drug use may be risk factors for tetanus.
More serious complications include broken bones (due to involuntary spasms), pneumonia, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest, and death. Tetanus symptoms appear anywhere from a few days to several weeks after the tetanus bacteria enters the body.
But with treatment, patients usually survive tetanus and recover. In recent years, tetanus has been fatal in approximately 11 percent of reported cases.
Symptoms of tetanus may not begin to appear until a week after the injury, so as a rule of thumb, try to get the tetanus booster shot within 48 hours of the injury. If tetanus is left untreated, your body could face long-term complications such as airway obstruction, heart failure, muscle damage, and/or brain damage.
Tetanus disease does not result in immunity because so little of the potent toxin is required to cause the disease. People recovering from tetanus should begin or complete the vaccination series.
Tetanus is different from other vaccine-preventable diseases because it does not spread from person to person. The bacteria are usually found in soil, dust, and manure and enter the body through breaks in the skin — usually cuts or puncture wounds caused by contaminated objects.
In Australia, tetanus is rare, occurring primarily in older adults who have never been vaccinated or who were vaccinated in the remote past. There were 24 notified cases of tetanus during 2001–2007. From 2008–2018 there were 42 notifications of tetanus in Australia, 11 of which were in Queensland.
Rust does not cause tetanus. Many people grow up believing they will get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail. And while a puncture wound from a nail is something to take seriously, you don't get tetanus from rust. Rather, bacteria that live in soil and feces cause tetanus.
The incubation period — time from exposure to illness — is usually between 3 and 21 days (average 8 days). However, it may range from 1 day to several months, depending on the kind of wound. Most cases occur within 14 days.
Interestingly the primary site of entry of the infection, as in this case, might be quite superficial and the wound might have healed at the time of tetanus development.
What does tetanus look like on the skin? Tetanus infections do not cause a rash and the wound will not show signs of tetanus. The first symptoms can take days, weeks, or even months to appear and usually start at the jaw. From the outside, tetanus may look like muscle tightness in the jaw, neck, and face.
Careful cleaning of wounds, both deep and superficial, can substantially decrease the risk of tetanus.
Early signs of a tetanus infection include headache and muscle spasms in your jaw. Tetanus is often called lockjaw because one of the early symptoms of the condition includes jaw cramping. Your jaw muscles may tighten. This makes it difficult to open your mouth.
Why Do Tetanus Shots Hurt? If you have received a tetanus shot and your arm is sore, you may be experiencing discomfort due to your body's production of antibodies in response to the viruses in the vaccine.