1

Tetanus

Tetanus in Africa
A Short Essay
Denise Schnidger
Universidade de Cabo Verde

Author note:
This paper was prepared for Instrumental English, taught by Professor Paulo Borges

Tetanus

For many people especially those in the western world, Africa is synonymous with
diseases, wars, conflicts and famine. While Africa cannot agree to be synonymous with
such claims, the continent cannot escape the fact that within the confines of its territo ry
lies some of the most deadly diseases that have claimed more lives in history than war
and famine put together. Every continent has diseases that are predominant in them and
is the same for Africa. Most of the diseases in Africa are such that can be completely
prevented by simple measures starting with proper education and personal hygiene. In
most cases, these diseases in Africa affect women and children which form the most
vulnerable demographic class. In this article, we explore Tetanus wich is ranked among
the top ten most deadly diseases in Africa because even though it affects less number of
people, it leaves fewer survivors.
Tetanus is a disease of carelessness and negligence. The number of new cases has
dropped from 800,000 to about 500,000 every year within the past decade but it claims
almost half of those it affects (up to 214,000 deaths) every year. Tetanus is ubiquito us
and can easily infect an individual when there is a breach in the first layer of barrier
against diseases; the skin and mucous membranes. Sometimes, a breach caused by a small
cut or wound can get contaminated by clostridium tetani (the micro-organism that causes
tetanus) with the disease manifesting several days after the contamination (usually 3 to
21 days after). Sub-saharan African countries record about 84,000 deaths on a yearly
basis. Neonatal tetanus is common in many developing countries especially in African
countries and those in South East Asia and is responsible for about 14% (215,000) of all
neonatal deaths all over the world.
Commonly, the bacteria get into the body through broken skin, usually through
injuries from contaminated objects. Certain breaks in the skin that are more likely to get
infected with tetanus bacteria. These include wounds contaminated with dirt, poop
(feces), or spit (saliva), wounds caused by an object puncturing the skin, like a nail or
needle (puncture wounds), burns, crush injuries and injuries with dead tissue. Most rarelly
it has also been linked to clean superficial wounds (when only the topmost layer of skin
is scraped off), surgical procedures, insect bites, dental infections, compound fractures (a
break in the bone where it is exposed), chronic sores and infections, and intravenous (IV)
drug use.

Tetanus

The incubation period time from exposure to illness is usually 321 days
(average 10 days), although it may range from 1 day to several months, depending on the
kind of wound. Most cases occur within 14 days. In general, shorter incubation periods
are seen with more heavily contaminated wounds, more severe disease, and a worse
outcome of the disease (prognosis).
Major tetanus sympthoms are headache, jaw cramping, sudden, involuntar y
muscle tightening often in the stomach (muscle spasms), painful muscle stiffness all
over the body, trouble swallowing, fever and sweating as well as high blood pressure and
fast heart rate. Its complications include uncontrolled/involuntary muscular contraction
of the vocal cords (laryngospasm), break in the bone (fracture), hospital-acquired
infections, blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a blood clot
that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (pulmonar y
embolism), pneumonia, a lung infection, that develops by breathing in foreign materials
(aspiration pneumonia), breathing difficulty, possibly leading to death (10-20% of cases
are fatal).
Being fully immunized is the best tool to prevent tetanus. Tetanus vaccines are
recommended for people of all ages, with booster shots throughout life. Immediate and
proper wound care can also help prevent infection. If you get a tetanus infection, you can
still get it again someday if you're not protected by timely vaccination.

Tetanus

References:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services/ Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/
Top Ten Deadly Diseases in Africa, Retrieved from answersafrica.com/diseases-in-afr ica