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Tetanus
Tetanus
Statutory notification
Tetanus infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
Alert:
cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the
public health unit
within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
See
notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB)
.
Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for
metropolitan residents (PDF 228KB)
or
regional residents (PDF 228KB)
.
For notification of regional residents see contact details of
public health units
.
See also description of
statutory medical notifications
for WA Health.
Public health management
Important information
Infectious agent:
Clostridium tetani
Transmission:
No direct person-to-person transmission. Tetanus spores are usually introduced into the body via penetrating skin wounds contaminated by soil, animal or human faeces.
Incubation period:
Usually 3 to 21 days, although it may range from 1 day to several months.
Infectious period:
Not communicable person-to-person.
Case exclusion:
Do not exclude.
Contact exclusion:
Do not exclude.
Treatment:
Hospitalisation.
Immunisation:
Recommended that children be vaccinated according to the
Western Australian immunisation schedule
. See
Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Tetanus (external site)
.
Guidelines
Western Australian immunisation schedule
Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Tetanus (external site)
Communicable Disease Guidelines for teachers, childcare workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners
Notifiable disease data and reports
Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
General infectious disease reports
Produced by
Public Health
Related links
Tetanus (Healthy WA)