A newborn is taken into the ICU following tetanic contractions. All of the following are TRUE about tetanus, EXCEPT:
C. tetani is an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming rod. Spores resist boiling and many disinfectants. C. tetani spores and bacilli survive in the intestinal systems of many animals, and fecal carriage is common. The spores or bacteria enter the body through abrasions, wounds, or (in the case of neonates) the umbilical stump. Minimum lethal human dose of exotoxin is 2.5 ng/kg. Tetanus is seen worldwide, more often in the summer season and in hot, damp climates with soil rich in organic matter. There is no herd immunity established against a noncommunicable disease such as tetanus. Also know: CDC definition of tetanus: The acute onset of hypeonia or painful muscular contractions (usually of the muscles of the jaw and neck) and generalized muscle spasms without other apparent medical cause. WHO definition of neonatal tetanus: An illness occurring in a child who has the normal ability to suck and cry in the first 2 days of life but who loses this ability between days 3 and 28 of life and becomes rigid and has spasms. WHO definition of maternal tetanus: Tetanus occurring during pregnancy or within 6 weeks after the conclusion of pregnancy (whether with bih, miscarriage, or aboion). Ref: Thwaites C.L., Yen L.M. (2012). Chapter 140. Tetanus. In D.L. Longo, A.S. Fauci, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, J.L. Jameson, J. Loscalzo (Eds), Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e.
Soil and intestines of animals and humans act as impoant reservoirs
Most commonly the infection occurs through contamination of wounds and injuries
Occurs more commonly in dry seasons/winters
Herd immunity is not impoant