Must the nail be rusty to get tetanus from stepping on it?!


Question: Must the nail be rusty to get tetanus from stepping on it!?
I have never had a tetanus shot and I stepped on a tack thingy!.
My jaw is really tight now and it hurts to open (there goes my night job,OH ZING!)
Anyway is it the rust that causes lock jaw!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Tink is correct!.

The infection comes from having a wound infected with a soil organism, clostridium tetani!. The rust has nothing to do with it -- and it is not a virus, not airborne!.
But if you see rust on a nail it is good evidence that the nail has been laying out on the ground for a while - hence the mythical association of rust with tetanus!.

do not stress about this!. in 2004, if memory serves me correct, there were only 8 cases of tetanus in the entire USA -- it has essentially been eradicated!.

Having said that, you DO need a primary series of shots if you have never had vaccination (which actually is impossible if you attended an elementary school in the USA)!. And you need a booster every 10 years!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

The nail doesn't have to be rusty, no!. Tetanus is caused by bacteria, to correct the first post!.

There is a 3 to 21 day incubation period for tetanus, so if you stepped on the tack outside of that window, it's more likely that you're just stressing out and having a psychosomatic reaction!. But get yourself to the doctor right away anyway!. Tetanus is life-threatening!. Www@Answer-Health@Com

No, it's the tetanus virus - that's airborne and all around us - on it that causes lockjaw!. Don't even turn the computer off - get to a hospital emergency room NOW!Www@Answer-Health@Com

How long ago did you step on this tack!?
And contrary to what the above posted, its a soil borne disease!.
So usually its from stepping on any sharp object thats covered in (earth) dirt!.

Www@Answer-Health@Com

Germ guy is a brainy one!.!.and 100% correct!Www@Answer-Health@Com





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