RESPOND TO STUDENT 150-200 WORDS

 Tetanus is an infectious disease of the human nervous system and according to our weekly video it is ranked as the 14^th deadliest human disease. This nerve disease is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani. Costridium tetani is a gram positive, anaerobic species of pathogenic bacteria. It is rod-shaped and sort of looks like a drumstick or tennis racket. This bacteria is found mostly in soil that has traces of feces; it is also resistant to heat and disinfectants. The bacteria tetanus bacillus was discovered in 1884 by Arthur Nicolaier who is a German physician. In 1889, Shibasaburo Kitasoto a Japanese bacteriologist cultured it in a pure culture and was able to develop a tetanus antitoxin.  Scientist used the antitoxin after World War II as an immunization for children. Tetanus is often referred to as lock jaw due to the muscle spasms people encounter with their mouth. Some symptoms of this disease are spasms of other muscles that reside in the throat, can lead to suffocation, and in worst cases there can be death. Less than 150 cases occur annually in the United States and more than 300,000 happen worldwide. The age group that is mostly affected by this disease is the 60 year olds. A doctor can diagnose a patient with tetanus if the patient has recently experience open cuts. These has not been any discovery of a cure for this disease as of yet. Scientist were only able to come up with preventative measures. The tetanus vaccination given to children are DTaP, DT, Td, or Tdap. If one is diagnosed with tetanus they are given Tetanus Immune Globulin (TIG) or Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG). After I got in a car accident in 2013 I received the DTaP because it had been over 10 years since I was vaccinated.