Tetanus (Lockjaw)

What is tetanus?

What are the symptoms of tetanus?

Is tetanus contagious?

What makes tetanus a serious illness?

Who is at risk for tetanus?

What is the best way to prevent tetanus?

What should I do if I get sick with tetanus?

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What is tetanus?

Tetanus is a very serious and deadly disease caused by spores of bacteria found in the environment. A tetanus infection can lead to serious health problems such as being unable to open the mouth, trouble breathing, and muscle spasms.

Tetanus is not spread from person to person. The spores of tetanus bacteria are found in soil, dust, and manure. The spores can get into the body through broken skin, usually through injuries from contaminated objects. Tetanus bacteria can also infect the body through breaks in the skin caused by a surgical procedure, dental infections, burns, bone fracture, or intravenous drug use.

Tetanus leads to death in about 1 to 2 in 10 cases, especially in those 60 years of age and older and in people who are unvaccinated. Since tetanus lives in soil and manure and cannot be removed from the environment, the vaccine will always be needed.

Scientific Term: Tetanus

Generic Term: Lockjaw

What are the symptoms of tetanus?

The most common symptom of tetanus is spasms (tightening) of the jaw muscles, which is why tetanus is often called lockjaw. Other symptoms of tetanus include:

  • Muscle spasms (often in the stomach)
  • Muscle stiffness all over the body
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Jerking or staring (seizures)
  • Headache
  • Fever and sweating
  • Changes in blood pressure and heart rate

If a person has symptoms of tetanus, they can appear anywhere from 3 to 21 days after exposure. The further the injury site is from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the longer it will take to see symptoms. The sooner you see symptoms after an injury, the higher the chance of death.

Is tetanus contagious?

No, tetanus is not spread from person to person. It is the only vaccine-preventable disease that is infectious but cannot be passed from one person to another person.

What makes tetanus a serious illness?

Even with medical treatment, tetanus leads to death in about 1 to 2 in 10 cases, especially in those 60 years of age and older and in people who are unvaccinated. Other serious complications of tetanus include spasms of the vocal cords, broken bones, pneumonia (lung infection), and pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). Doctors can diagnose tetanus by examining the patient and looking for certain signs and symptoms. There are no hospital lab tests that can confirm tetanus.

Who is at risk for tetanus?

Anyone can get tetanus, but rates of disease are highest among people who did not get all the recommended tetanus vaccinations. This includes people who have never received a tetanus vaccine and adults who don't stay up to date on their 10-year booster shots.

You may also be at higher risk for tetanus if you:

  • Have diabetes
  • Have a history of immunosuppression (weak immune system)
  • Are an injecting drug user
  • Are doing humanitarian aid work, such as constructing or demolishing buildings, in countries outside the US.

If you aren't vaccinated against tetanus or it has been too long since your last booster, you are at risk for tetanus if you get a severe and dirty wound or burn.

What is the best way to prevent tetanus?

The best way to protect yourself against tetanus is to get vaccinated before you are exposed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends tetanus vaccines for people of all ages, with booster shots throughout life. If you had tetanus or got the vaccine before, you still need to get the vaccine regularly to keep a high level of protection against this serious disease.

There are several types of vaccines that protect against tetanus, as well as other diseases like diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). DTaP vaccine is recommended for babies and young children. Tdap and Td vaccines are available for adolescents and adults.

Birth to age seven

Kids should be immunized in the first 18 months of life with a four-shot series of the combination vaccine, DTaP. It includes diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Kids who get all four doses before their fourth birthday should get a fifth dose before starting kindergarten or elementary school. The fifth dose isn't necessary if the fourth dose was given on or after the fourth birthday. This combination vaccine is not given to people over age seven. DT vaccine is available for kids under seven who can't tolerate the pertussis (whooping cough) component.

Age 10 and up

One dose of Tdap vaccine is recommended for adolescents aged 11 or 12 years. Kids in 6th grade who are at least 11 years old are required to show proof of Tdap vaccination. After a person receives Tdap vaccine, Td vaccine is recommended as a booster shot every 10 years as an adult.

Any age after being injured

If you have a severe and dirty wound or burn, see a healthcare provider right away. They may need to give you tetanus vaccine to prevent you from contracting tetanus, even if it has been less than 10 years since your last dose.

What should I do if I get sick with tetanus?

If you or someone you know gets sick with tetanus, go to the emergency room for treatment as soon as possible. Then call your healthcare provider or local health department.

Your wound will be cleaned very well, and you may be given tetanus immune globulin (TIG) or Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV), which provides short-term protection. You may also be given antibiotics and medications to control muscle spasms. Once your condition has become stable, you will be given a tetanus-containing vaccine (Td or Tdap).

Vaccination is important because having tetanus disease does not result in tetanus immunity for life. You are still at-risk for getting tetanus again. The risk of reinfection is one of the reasons why the CDC recommends adults get a booster shot for tetanus every 10 years.

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