Why is it so dangerous to step on a rusty nail? - Louise Thwaites
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In the 5th century, a ship master was suffering from a nasty infection that caused his jaws to press together, his teeth to lock up, and the muscles in his neck and spine to spasm. Today we know this account to be one the first recorded cases of tetanus. So, what causes this peculiar infection? Louise Thwaites explores how tetanus affects our bodies, and how we can prevent it.
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In 1999, the World Health Organization and its partners announced their aim to eliminate neonatal tetanus (tetanus of newborn babies) throughout the world and identified 59 countries where this had not yet happened. By 2020, this had been achieved in 39 of these countries. To learn more about tetanus, the World Health Organization and UNICEF websites have a plethora of information about prevention programs and up-to-date data on cases occurring throughout the world.
Unfortunately, because Clostridium Tetani is in the soil throughout the world, complete eradication of tetanus is impossible as unvaccinated people are constantly exposed to tetanus in their environment. Because of this, everyone needs to have their vaccines up-to-date to be protected against tetanus. Luckily tetanus vaccine is inexpensive and is available as part of routine vaccination programs throughout the world. To learn more about how vaccines work take a look at this TED-Ed explainer.
Tetanus does not just affect humans- most animals are also susceptible to tetanus. Horses, sheep, and guinea pigs are particularly sensitive to tetanus compared to dogs and cats, while birds are generally resistant. Horses are often vaccinated against tetanus; to find out more, read on here
Unfortunately, because Clostridium Tetani is in the soil throughout the world, complete eradication of tetanus is impossible as unvaccinated people are constantly exposed to tetanus in their environment. Because of this, everyone needs to have their vaccines up-to-date to be protected against tetanus. Luckily tetanus vaccine is inexpensive and is available as part of routine vaccination programs throughout the world. To learn more about how vaccines work take a look at this TED-Ed explainer.
Tetanus does not just affect humans- most animals are also susceptible to tetanus. Horses, sheep, and guinea pigs are particularly sensitive to tetanus compared to dogs and cats, while birds are generally resistant. Horses are often vaccinated against tetanus; to find out more, read on here
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Louise Thwaites
- Director Andrew Foerster, Rewfoe
- Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
- Music Jason Stamatyades
- Sound Designer Jason Stamatyades
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Sazia Afrin
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Script Editor Joel Goldberg
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace
