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Causes of Tetanus

The germ Clostridium tetani usually enters the body via a penetrating wound which is contaminated with soil or manure.  There is more chance of developing tetanus if the wound is deep and contamination is great. 

However, infection can occur from minor wounds and in some cases, no wound can be found.  Intravenous drug users are also at risk from tetanus infection.

Once inside the body, the germ develops and produces a strong poison called tetanospasmin toxin.  It is the poison that causes the muscle contractions and other symptoms as it spreads through the body.

The only area of the body that the poison does not reach is the brain.  Here, the poison molecules are too large to pass through the tiny openings between the wall cells of the smallest blood vessels in the brain (known as the blood – brain barrier).

The infection can take between two days and two months to develop (known as the incubation period).  This will depend on the site of the wound and how much it was contaminated.  Generally, the shorter the incubation period, the more severe and dangerous the infection is likely to be.

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