{
  "id": 2176451,
  "title": "Though preventable, tetanus remains a global health problem",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/though-preventable-tetanus-remains-a-global-health-problem",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-20T16:40:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-tetanus-global-health-problem.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tetanus, a highly preventable disease, continues to pose a significant global health problem, despite being a condition most people associate with the past and childhood vaccinations. Dr. Önder Ergönül, Dr. Selin Kolsuz, and Dr. J. Peter Figueroa, along with their team from Koç University and The University of the West Indies, have conducted a comprehensive review published in The Lancet that sheds light on why tetanus persists as a threat worldwide.\n\nTetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which produces a resistant spore capable of surviving in soil and animal feces for extended periods. This persistence means that complete eradication of tetanus is unattainable. Unlike many infectious diseases, tetanus does not spread from person to person, making herd immunity ineffective. Protection can only be achieved through proper and sufficient individual immunity.\n\nThe disease typically develops when these spores enter the body through contaminated, deep wounds or improperly cleaned injuries. In environments with low oxygen levels, the spores can become active, releasing a potent neurotoxin known as tetanospasmin. Once this toxin binds to the nervous system, it prevents muscles from relaxing, leading to symptoms like muscle rigidity, painful spasms, difficulty swallowing, respiratory issues, and lockjaw.\n\nRecognizing the importance of early treatment is crucial, as the antitoxin used in treatment acts only on toxin that has not yet attached to nerve tissue. Tetanus is not limited to unvaccinated children; it remains a concern in areas with limited healthcare access. Unhygienic delivery conditions, inadequate maternal and neonatal vaccination, and unsafe umbilical cord care can place newborns at a higher risk. The elderly, those with diabetes, weakened immune systems, drug users, migrants, refugees, and populations affected by natural disasters are also at increased risk due to waning immunity.\n\nEmergency health responses should incorporate tetanus prevention alongside surgical and trauma care. Diagnosing tetanus is primarily based on clinical symptoms, but clinicians should consider it in patients with high-risk wounds or uncertain vaccination histories. Treatment involves cleaning the wound, surgical debridement, antibiotics, tetanus immunoglobulin, antispasmodic medication, and intensive care. The review also highlights unresolved questions about the use of antitoxins, administration routes, managing autonomic nervous system instability, and interventions that most effectively improve survival.\n\nWhile tetanus is vaccine-preventable, it will not be eliminated without ongoing public health efforts. Factors such as declining immunity, incomplete vaccination records, and unequal access to healthcare contribute to the continued loss of life. Combating tetanus necessitates more than childhood immunization; it requires pregnancy and adult immunization, appropriate wound care, targeted vaccination during disasters and migration, reliable vaccination records, early diagnosis, and access to intensive care. The review emphasizes that the ongoing loss of life from a vaccine-preventable disease reflects inequalities in health systems, access to information, and preventive care. Tetanus, though an old disease, remains a critical public health challenge that demands sustained efforts.",
  "summary": "Tetanus is often considered a disease of the past, remembered mainly through childhood vaccinations and warnings about rusty nails. Yet despite being preventable with an effective vaccine, it continues to cause tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year.",
  "key_points": [
    "Tetanus remains a global health issue despite being highly preventable.",
    "Caused by Clostridium tetani spores in contaminated wounds.",
    "Ongoing public health efforts needed to combat vaccine-preventable disease."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}