Following three recent tetanus cases including the first death in 30 years of an Australian woman, the government is urging people to be up to date with their tetanus vaccinations and alert them to the severity of the disease.
Director of Communicable Diseases Christine Selvey said that the disease is particularly dangerous for the elderly.
“Tetanus is a rare, but potentially fatal disease,” Selvey said on April 13 in a statement.
“In Australia, the disease mostly occurs in older people, usually women, who are inadequately immunised.”
Tetanus is a serious infection that causes muscle spasms and breathing problems.
It is caused by a potentially lethal bacteria called Clostridium tetani, which can enter wounds and produce a toxin that attacks a person’s nervous system. It does not spread from person to person….