Tetanus

Tetanus is an acute, often fatal disease caused by an exotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani. It is characterized by muscular rigidity which persist throughout illness punctuated by painful paroxysmal spasm of the voluntary muscles of the back and neck and those of the lower limbs and abdomen.
Tetanus spores are usually introduced in the body through a punctured wound contaminated with soil, street dust or animals or humans feces, burns, it occasionally follows surgical procedures like abortion, circumcision.
Incubation period is usually 3-21 days.
The symptoms of tetanus are caused by the tetanus toxin acting on CNS like spasm of the jaw muscles followed by stiffness of the neck, difficulty in swallowing and stiffness if the abdominal muscles, fever, sweating, rapid heart rate, etc.
Prevention of tetanus is done by using sterilized knife, walking without barefoot, etc. Prevention of tetanus after injury can be done by immediate cleaning the wound thoroughly by removing foreign bodies, soil, dust. Immunization is also one of the key measure of its prevention.