Tetanus is an acute infectious disease caused by spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani. The spores are found everywhere in the environment, particularly in soil, ash, intestinal tracts/feces of animals and humans, and on skin surfaces and rusty tools like nails, needles, barbed wire, etc. Being very resistant to heat and most antiseptics, the spores can survive for years.
Anyone can get tetanus, but the disease is particularly common and serious in newborn babies and pregnant women who have not been sufficiently immunized with tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccines (TTCV). Tetanus during pregnancy or within 6 weeks of the end of pregnancy is called maternal tetanus, and tetanus within the first 28 days of life is called neonatal tetanus.
The disease remains an important public health problem in many parts of the world, but especially in low-income countries or in districts where immunization coverage is low, and unclean birth practices are common. Neonatal tetanus occurs when nonsterile instruments are used to cut the umbilical cord or when contaminated material is used to cover the umbilical stump. Deliveries carried out by people with unclean hands or on a contaminated surface are also risk factors.
In 2021, just over 7700 newborns died from neonatal tetanus, a 84% reduction from 2000, when an estimated 46 898 newborn babies died of tetanus within their first month of life. However, there is increased risk of tetanus in adolescent and adult males who undergo circumcision due to waning immunity and limited opportunity for receiving booster doses in males in many countries.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, is a bacterial infection that is characterized by painful muscle spasms, serious complications, and can lead to eventual death. Tetanus is not transmitted from person-to-person. A person usually becomes infected with tetanus when dirt enters a wound or cut.
Tetanus germs are likely to grow in deep puncture wounds caused by dirty nails, knives, tools, wood splinters, and animal bites. The disease is caused by a potent neurotoxin that is produced by the bacteria in the absence of oxygen.
People of all ages can get tetanus but it can be prevented by the administration of tetanus toxoid, which induces specific antitoxins. To prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus, tetanus toxoid needs to be given to the mother before or during pregnancy, and clean delivery and cord care needs to be ensured.
The disease is particularly common and serious in newborn babies. This is called neonatal tetanus and most infants die who get the disease. Neonatal tetanus is particularly common in rural areas where most deliveries are at home without adequate sterile procedures.
People who recover from tetanus do not have natural immunity and can be infected again and therefore need to be immunized.
There is no Disease Outbreak data at this time
In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the health system and routine immunization in the African Region, leading to a significant decline in immunization coverage. It is well known that routine immunization programmes rely on functioning health facilities and stable communities.
