Tetanus News and Research

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Tetanus is a severe, frequently fatal disease caused by an exotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that is found in the environment. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, Clostridium tetani enters the body through an open wound, including lacerations, abrasions and puncture wounds. The toxin causes neuromuscular dysfunction, with rigidity and spasms of skeletal muscles. The muscle spasms usually start in the jaw (which is why the disease is sometimes called "lockjaw") and neck and may spread to many other muscles, leading to generalized paralysis.

Children living in higher altitude areas of India may be more vulnerable to stunted growth

Living at higher altitudes in India is linked to an increased risk of stunted growth, with children living in homes 2000 metres or more above sea level 40% more at risk than those living 1000 metres below, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

26 Apr 2024

154 million lives saved: Landmark study highlights power of vaccination

A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years.

25 Apr 2024

Vaccines targeting chronic diseases show promise in combatting age-related conditions

Vaccine-based therapeutics for age-related disorders.

17 Apr 2024

Denmark's pertussis epidemic reveals the power of maternal vaccination

A study published in Eurosurveillance details the 2023 pertussis epidemic in Denmark, emphasizing the age-specific incidence, the role of maternal vaccination in reducing infant hospitalizations, and the impact of vaccination strategies on managing the outbreak.

8 Apr 2024

WHO calls for urgent action on rising neurological conditions worldwide

A major new study released by The Lancet Neurology shows that, in 2021, more than 3 billion people worldwide were living with a neurological condition.

30 Mar 2024

MMR vaccine slashes antibiotic use in toddlers: Nordic study shines light on broader benefits

Study demonstrates that administering the MMR vaccine to children under two, following three DTaP doses, significantly reduces the need for antibiotic treatments, highlighting potential non-specific protective effects.

26 Mar 2024

More than 3 billion people worldwide lived with a neurological condition in 2021, new study reports

Researchers estimated global, regional, and national health loss due to 37 nervous system conditions and their associated risk factors from 1990 to 2021.

19 Mar 2024

Study reveals why COVID-19 antibodies fade quickly

Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine published a new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases investigating the antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

18 Mar 2024

Global health burden of neurological conditions is much greater than previously understood, study reveals

Globally, the number of people living with, or dying from, neurological conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and meningitis has risen substantially over the past 30 years due to the growth and ageing of the global population as well as increased exposure to environmental, metabolic, and lifestyle risk factors.

18 Mar 2024

Study highlights growing burden of neurological disorders worldwide

Globally, the number of people living with, or dying from, neurological conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and meningitis has risen substantially over the past 30 years due to the growth and aging of the global population as well as increased exposure to environmental, metabolic, and lifestyle risk factors.

15 Mar 2024

Vaccines safe for pregnant women with HIV but show reduced immune response

A meta-analysis in eClinicalMedicine finds vaccines are safe for pregnant women living with HIV, showing reduced immunogenicity compared to those without HIV but no increase in adverse events, highlighting the need for their inclusion in vaccine trials.

9 Feb 2024

Evidence from Malawi: Typhoid conjugate vaccine provides protection for up to four years

Study shows that a single dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine provides over four years of protection against typhoid fever in Malawian children, proving effective across all age groups.

31 Jan 2024

Higher local Ebola incidence causes lower child vaccination rates

The impact of the Ebola epidemic on the child vaccination rate.

18 Jan 2024

R21/Matrix-M vaccine gets WHO green light for global rollout

The R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine is one step closer to mass rollout, after officially receiving WHO prequalification status, making it eligible for procurement by United Nations agencies.

21 Dec 2023

UVA biomedical engineer unveils hidden immune symphony during pregnancy

Sepideh Dolatshahi, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, is spearheading an exploration of systems immunology in its crucial development phase -; during pregnancy.

15 Dec 2023

CAR-T cell therapy could lead to sustained suppression of autoantibodies in treatment-resistant lupus

New research at ACR Convergence 2023, the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, demonstrates that CAR-T cell therapy could lead to sustained suppression of autoantibodies in treatment-resistant lupus while maintaining a robust response to vaccines.

7 Nov 2023

Maternal pertussis vaccination boosts infant protection up to eight months

In a large-scale Australian study, maternal vaccination during pregnancy significantly increased pertussis resistance in infants up to eight months. While it slightly reduced the effectiveness of infants' routine vaccinations, it did not increase infection risk.

11 Oct 2023

Students starting school and college in September are at increased risk of serious illnesses

A leading testing expert fears a perfect storm of infections in September as students start at schools and colleges. School closures during Covid lockdowns mean 1-in-8 students starting university this year remains unprotected against meningitis. Concern is growing early symptoms may be confused with freshers’ flu.

4 Sep 2023

Prior vaccinations may help protect against Alzheimer's disease

Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

16 Aug 2023

Pertussis vaccination responses in COPD patients

Researchers evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses to pertussis vaccination in COPD patients.

21 Jul 2023