Must the nail be rusty to get tetanus from stepping on it?!
Question: Must the nail be rusty to get tetanus from stepping on it.?
I have never had a tetanus shot and I stepped on a tack thingy.
My jaw is really tight now and it hurts to open (there goes my night job,OH ZING!)
Anyway is it the rust that causes lock jaw.?Health Question & Answer
My jaw is really tight now and it hurts to open (there goes my night job,OH ZING!)
Anyway is it the rust that causes lock jaw.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Tink is correct.
The infection comes from having a wound infected with a soil organism, clostridium tetani. The rust has nothing to do with it -- and it is not a virus, not airborne.
But if you see rust on a nail it is good evidence that the nail has been laying out on the ground for a while - hence the mythical association of rust with tetanus.
do not stress about this. in 2004, if memory serves me correct, there were only 8 cases of tetanus in the entire USA -- it has essentially been eradicated.
Having said that, you DO need a primary series of shots if you have never had vaccination (which actually is impossible if you attended an elementary school in the USA). And you need a booster every 10 years.Health Question & Answer
The infection comes from having a wound infected with a soil organism, clostridium tetani. The rust has nothing to do with it -- and it is not a virus, not airborne.
But if you see rust on a nail it is good evidence that the nail has been laying out on the ground for a while - hence the mythical association of rust with tetanus.
do not stress about this. in 2004, if memory serves me correct, there were only 8 cases of tetanus in the entire USA -- it has essentially been eradicated.
Having said that, you DO need a primary series of shots if you have never had vaccination (which actually is impossible if you attended an elementary school in the USA). And you need a booster every 10 years.Health Question & Answer
The nail doesn't have to be rusty, no. Tetanus is caused by bacteria, to correct the first post.
There is a 3 to 21 day incubation period for tetanus, so if you stepped on the tack outside of that window, it's more likely that you're just stressing out and having a psychosomatic reaction. But get yourself to the doctor right away anyway. Tetanus is life-threatening. Health Question & Answer
There is a 3 to 21 day incubation period for tetanus, so if you stepped on the tack outside of that window, it's more likely that you're just stressing out and having a psychosomatic reaction. But get yourself to the doctor right away anyway. Tetanus is life-threatening. Health Question & Answer
No, it's the tetanus virus - that's airborne and all around us - on it that causes lockjaw. Don't even turn the computer off - get to a hospital emergency room NOW!Health Question & Answer
How long ago did you step on this tack.?
And contrary to what the above posted, its a soil borne disease.
So usually its from stepping on any sharp object thats covered in (earth) dirt.
Health Question & Answer
And contrary to what the above posted, its a soil borne disease.
So usually its from stepping on any sharp object thats covered in (earth) dirt.
Health Question & Answer
Germ guy is a brainy one..and 100% correct!Health Question & Answer