The tetanus toxin can also damage the heart.īecause of its presence in the environment and the noninfectious nature of this disease, eradication will not be possible through vaccination. If these spasms affect the throat and jaw (lockjaw), they can interfere with breathing, causing suffocation.

Once under the skin, the bacteria make a toxin that causes muscle spasms. Hand washing and bathing do little once the bacteria actually get under the skin. Given the playful, adventurous, and oftentimes injury-prone nature of children, it's important to immunize them against tetanus. Items likely to be contaminated with the tetanus bacteria include nails or pieces of glass that were lying on the ground. The bacteria live in the soil and usually enter the body following punctures or wounds that are not kept clean or include damaged tissues such as from burns, frostbite, or gangrene. Unlike most vaccine-preventable diseases, tetanus is not a disease that you catch from someone else. Tetanus is another disease caused by a toxin-releasing bacterium, Clostridium tetani. Outbreaks still occur around the world and typically coincide with a drop in immunization rates. The diphtheria vaccine, first used in the United States in the early 1940s, has virtually eliminated the disease. At its peak, about 150,000 cases of diphtheria occurred in the United States every year. In the 1920s, diphtheria was a common cause of death in children and adolescents. The toxin makes it difficult for children to breathe and swallow, but it also attacks the heart, kidneys and nerves.

The dangers associated with diphtheria come from the toxin released by the bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Tetanus shot 5 or 10 years