How does rust cause tetanus

You can also get it from insect bites, animal bites, scratches or a tiny crack in the skin. Some cases come from scratches or small wounds that happen while gardening. Something as innocent as a scrape can leave enough of a break in the skin for it to invade. In one case, she says, a patient contracted the disease via a splinter in the pad of his thumb with no visible puncture wounds.

Fortunately, that patient survived but only after many months in intensive care. Not all patients are so lucky.

Tetanus is hard to diagnose early on because so much of the damage happens internally. The spores of the tetanus bacteria enter the bloodstream through a break in the skin and then thrive and germinate inside the body. The germinating spores produce a toxin that disrupts the nervous system, first affecting the nerves nearest to the break in the skin. From there, the infection spreads to the spinal cord and brain. Within five to ten days, tetanus shows its most frightening symptom: lockjaw.

The abdomen grows rigid. As the toxins spread, general muscle spasms begin. This advice certainly comes from a good place. In North America, the Cleveland Clinic estimates , 10 percent of cases are fatal. In countries with inadequate or inaccessible medical care, the number is believed to be much higher. Even survival takes its toll. On Friday, the U. The bacteria incubated inside his little body for a few days, then suddenly manifested in horrible jaw clenching and muscle spasms, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature irregularities.

But counter to what rusty nail warnings might have you believe, the disease has nothing to do with iron oxide, the chemical compound more commonly known as rust.

Rather, tetanus is a product of the bacteria Clostridium tetani , which is in dirt, dust, and feces—in other words, everywhere. It can enter your body through puncture wounds, yes, but also through superficial cuts, bug bites, surgical procedures, and any other rupture to your skin.

It can come from stepping on a rusty nail, or tending the soil in your garden. These bacteria are in the environment and get into the body through breaks in the skin. The spores can get into the body through broken skin, usually through injuries from contaminated objects. Tetanus bacteria are more likely to infect certain breaks in the skin. These include:.

The incubation period — time from exposure to illness — is usually between 3 and 21 days average 10 days. However, it may range from one day to several months, depending on the kind of wound. Most cases occur within 14 days. In general, doctors see shorter incubation periods with:.