Tetanus

Tetanus (), also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by Clostridium tetani and characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually lasts for a few minutes. Spasms occur frequently for three to four weeks. Some spasms may be severe enough to fracture bones. Other symptoms of tetanus may include fever, sweating, headache, trouble swallowing, high blood pressure, and a fast heart rate. The onset of symptoms is typically 3 to 21 days following infection. Recovery may take months; about 10%

German physiologist who received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901 for his discovery of a diphtheria antitoxin

Japanese bacteriologist, immunologist

common soil bacterium and the causative agent of tetanus

vaccines used to prevent tetanus

vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus

Tetany or tetanic seizure is a medical sign consisting of the involuntary contraction of muscles, which may be caused by disorders that increase the action potential frequency of muscle cells or of the nerves that innervate them.

chemical compound

Opisthotonus or opisthotonos (from and ) is a state of severe hyperextension and spasticity in which an individual's head, neck and spinal column enter into a complete "bridging" or "arching" position.

spasm of the facial muscles

muscle contraction in which a skeletal muscle stays full contracted, under voluntary control, until the mind decides to relax it

German internist (1862–1942)

Human disease

single vaccine protecting against six individual diseases

Tetanolysin is a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani bacteria. Its function is unknown, but it is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of tetanus. The other C. tetani toxin, tetanospasmin, is more definitively linked to tetanus. It is sensitive to oxygen.

combination vaccine