Tetanus Is More Dangerous Than You Think

If you don’t think tetanus is a serious threat, you’re in good company. Most Americans under the age of 60 are similarly unconcerned. That’s because most the those people were immunized to the deadly bacteria when they were kids, and haven’t given the sneaky bacteria much thought. Unfortunately, that immunization wears off, and doctors are now recommending that everyone get a tetanus vaccine booster at least every ten years. As Jane Brody warns in this piece in the New York Times, most doctors practicing in the United States have never seen tetanus, and their unfamiliarity can cause a fatal delay in diagnosis when these
bacteria enter the body and cause potentially fatal muscle spasms and
paralysis. Brody points out that puncture wounds are not the only way to contract tetanus. Even a
scratch from a thorn or an animal, a splinter, bug bite, burn or a stab
from an unsterile sewing needle can lead to an invasion of tetanus
bacteria. The source of infection can be indoors or out – in a home,
yard, garden, farm or elsewhere. Scary stuff. Read more here.