What causes tetanus?

The bacteria can be present in soil, dust, and animal waste. They may enter through a puncture, cut, burn, bite, or wound containing dirt or dead tissue. Tetanus does not spread from person to person. The risk depends on the wound and whether vaccination protection is current, so a small-looking injury can still need professional advice if it is deep or contaminated. Early symptoms may include jaw stiffness, trouble swallowing, neck stiffness, or painful tightening of muscles.

Wash your hands, rinse the wound with clean running water, and remove visible dirt without digging into the tissue. Cover it with a clean dressing. Contact a healthcare professional promptly for a deep, puncture, crushed, burned, or contaminated wound, or if you are unsure about your vaccination history. They may clean the wound further and advise vaccination or other preventive treatment. Do not wait for symptoms before asking about protection.

Tetanus symptoms require urgent medical care. Go to an emergency service for jaw or neck stiffness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, repeated muscle spasms, severe rigidity, or rapidly worsening symptoms after a wound. Also seek advice for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever, or worsening pain around an injury, because these can indicate another wound infection.

Ask whether the wound needs additional cleaning, whether your vaccination record provides protection, whether a booster is needed, and what symptoms should trigger emergency care.