Tetanus: An update on an ancient disease

The clinical manifestations of tetanus were acknowledged by medical writers in antiquity [1]. Although an ancient disease, tetanus persists worldwide, with the highest incidence in developing countries. Large-scale immunizati on programs have attributed to the dramatic decline in the incidence of tet anus in developed countries [2]. Tetanus is caused by the toxin of Clostrid ium tetani, an anaerobic spore-forming gram-positive rod. In 1990, the Coun cil of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the United Stales Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided the following clinical ca se definition for public health surveillance of tetanus: "Acute onset of hy pertonia or painful muscular contractions (usually of the muscles of the ja w and neck) and generalized muscle spasms without other apparent medical ca use as reported by a healthcare professional" [3].