Tetanus

At a glance

Vaccine preventable – check who’s eligible
Vaccine included on the National Immunisation Program – check who’s eligible
Nationally notifiable disease

About tetanus

Tetanus is a rare but serious disease.

It is caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani, which is mainly found in soil, dust and manure.

People can get tetanus when the bacteria enter through skin wounds or punctures. Once inside the body, the bacteria produce a toxin that affects the central nervous system.

Why it matters to public health

Tetanus is very serious and can cause death.

It is vaccine preventable. The tetanus vaccine is safe and highly effective.

Tetanus is rare in Australia due to high vaccination coverage. Most people who get tetanus have either not been vaccinated or were vaccinated more than 10 years ago.

Because of the seriousness of tetanus, we monitor and report on tetanus cases in Australia.

Symptoms

If you’re looking for advice about your own health or treatment options, see healthdirect or speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Our role is to provide public health advice – information and guidance that helps prevent disease, protect communities and improve wellbeing at a population level.

Common symptoms of tetanus include:

painful muscle spasms
lockjaw (inability to open mouth)
seizures
stiffness in the shoulders, back and other muscles
difficulty breathing, swallowing or talking
fever.

Complications can include:

broken bones (from muscle spasms)
pneumonia
respiratory failure
abnormal heart rhythms.

Read more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of tetanus.

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a health professional.

Check your symptoms

Onset of symptoms

Symptoms usually start between 3 and 21 days after being exposed to the bacteria. But this can range from 1 day to several months.

How it spreads

The bacteria that cause tetanus live in soil, dust and animal manure.

People can be infected when spores of the bacteria enter the body through an open wound or break in the skin.

The risk of infection is higher for some wounds, including those that:

are deep
are caused by animal bites
are contaminated with soil or manure
are contaminated with foreign objects, such as a splinter
are caused by dirty objects, such as a needle or nail
are due to a broken bone piercing the skin (compound fracture)
contain dead tissue or pus
have tissue damage, such as from a burn or crush injury.

Infectious period

Tetanus does not spread from person to person.

Prevention

Vaccination

Get vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent tetanus.

Vaccination is recommended for:

infants, children and adolescents, as part of routine vaccination
adults who need a booster dose, including people travelling to countries where health services might be difficult to access
anyone who has missed doses of the vaccine
people with a wound that could be infected by tetanus – this depends on the wound and the person’s vaccination history.

Immunity from the vaccine reduces over time, so it is important to keep up to date with booster doses.

Eligible people can get tetanus vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program or state or territory programs. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine, you can buy one from your health professional or pharmacy.

Other prevention steps

When working outside, such as in the garden or on farms:

wear thick gloves and long-sleeved clothing to prevent scratches or punctures
wash hands often and thoroughly with soap and water.

Never use non-sterile needles or other injecting equipment.

If you get a wound that could be infected by tetanus, you should:

clean it immediately and apply antiseptic
see a healthcare professional as soon as possible – tetanus vaccination might be needed.

In some cases, healthcare professionals might also offer tetanus immunoglobulin to lower the risk of infection.

Priority groups and settings

People at greater risk of severe disease

Tetanus is a serious disease.

People at highest risk of developing tetanus include those who:

have never been vaccinated
have not had a tetanus vaccine dose in the previous 10 years.

People might also be at greater risk if they:

are older
are immunocompromised
have diabetes
are a newborn baby
travel to countries where health services are difficult to access.

People at greater risk should take steps to protect themselves.

People at greater risk of exposure

People are at greater risk of exposure if they:

get a wound prone to tetanus
regularly work outside, such as in the garden or on farms
inject drugs with non-sterile needles or equipment.

Diagnosis and treatment

People with tetanus symptoms should see a healthcare professional immediately.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

Find a health service

People with tetanus require urgent medical attention and treatment, often in an intensive care unit.

Treatments for tetanus include tetanus immunoglobulin and antibiotics.

Surveillance and reporting

Tetanus is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new laboratory confirmed cases to us through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

This is part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns.

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.

Support

For information about tetanus in your state or territory, see:

For travel advice, see: