Seemingly harmless everyday injuries can be fatal due to tetanus infection. During the harvest season, such risks are associated with soil getting into the wound, warned Ekaterina Kashukh, doctor-expert of the Gemotest laboratory, Candidate of Medical Sciences.
She explained that tetanus is an acute infectious disease of the nervous system caused by the tetanus bacillus Clostridium tetani found in the soil and intestines of animals. In humans, the disease occurs when the pathogen enters the body through the wound surface.
“As it grows, the tetanus bacillus releases the strongest toxin, tetanospasmin. First, it attacks the peripheral nerve endings, and then the entire central nervous system. This irreversible and deadly process leads to convulsions and severe muscle spasms that cause respiratory arrest, ”Kashukh emphasized.
The incubation period of the disease ranges from three days to three weeks. All unvaccinated children and adults who have been vaccinated for more than 10 years or who do not have sufficient levels of antibodies are susceptible to the disease.
“Seek immediate medical attention if soil, particles of manure or a rusty object got into a wound that appeared during household work, barbecue or fishing, as a result of an animal bite, as well as a fall from a bicycle or scooter,” the doctor urged.
According to her, the resulting injury does not have to be extensive: the threat is a small but deep puncture or cut of soft tissues, for example, it is enough to step on a nail or cut yourself with a sharp object. It is in these cases that oxygen-free conditions are created – the main favorable factor for the development of tetanus. Do not ignore the burns received in nature, especially on the hands or feet. Due to the greatest contact of these surfaces with the soil, they can also serve as entry gates for infection.
“After treating the wound with running water and available antiseptics, go through a medical examination as soon as possible for emergency tetanus prophylaxis. The faster the anti-tetanus serum is administered to the patient, the greater the likelihood of neutralizing the toxin, ”explained Kashukh.
As the specialist recalled, routine tetanus prevention is vaccination. For children from three months onwards, according to the national immunization schedule, revaccination of the adult population is every ten years.
After vaccination, and to check if emergency prophylaxis is needed, your doctor may order a tetanus toxoid IgG antibody test. This analysis allows to assess the fact of the presence and intensity of tetanus immunity.
“Unfortunately, untimely diagnosis and delayed treatment of tetanus can lead to death in some cases,” the doctor concluded.
On August 29, Tatyana Kovaleva, an infectious disease specialist, pediatrician at the SM-Clinic, Doctor of Medical Sciences, said that in Russia dogs are the most common source of rabies infection. As the specialist noted, there are currently no effective methods for treating rabies, that is, the disease is considered incurable.
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