Library · Microorganism
Clostridium tetani
Make it clearer
Tetanus is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani, and its defining trait is that it is anaerobic: it only thrives where oxygen cannot reach. When conditions turn against it, it does not disappear; it shuts itself inside a spore, a survival form like a dried seed kept in a jar, able to sit still and later germinate, that is, open up and go back to being an active bacterium.
In brief
Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium, and its spores can germinate.
A toxin called tetanospasmin causes the neurologic manifestations of tetanus.
Sources (2)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Advisory Committee on Immunization PracticesPrevention of Pertussis, Tetanus, and Diphtheria with Vaccines in the United StatesPublished
- Centers for Disease Control and PreventionEpidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 14th Edition: Chapter 21 TetanusPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated