Noun
A painful and usually fatal disease, resulting generally from a wound, and having as its principal symptom persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called locked-jaw, or lickjaw, and it takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm.
That condition of a muscle in which it is in a state of continued vibratory contraction, as when stimulated by a series of induction shocks.
Source: Webster's dictionaryAs a child, I was more afraid of tetanus shots than, for example, Dracula. Dave Barry
• Ages 4-6: Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis), also known as DTaP. Source: Internet
Besides recommendations for infant vaccinations and boosters, many specific vaccines are recommended at other ages or for repeated injections throughout life—most commonly for measles, tetanus, influenza, and pneumonia. Source: Internet
As of 1998 neonatal tetanus was common in many developing countries and was responsible for about 14% (215,000) of all neonatal deaths. citation In 2010 the worldwide death toll was 58,000 newborns. Source: Internet
Cephalic tetanus is more likely than other forms of tetanus to be fatal, with the progression to generalized tetanus carrying a 15–30% case fatality rate. Source: Internet
Due to its rarity, clinicians may be unfamiliar with the clinical presentation and may not suspect tetanus as the illness. Source: Internet