About tetanus
Tetanus is a bacterial infection caused by Clostridium tetani. The bacteria make a toxin in your body that causes the disease.
Tetanus causes severe muscle spasms, especially in the neck and jaw (called lockjaw). Around 1 in 10 people who get the disease will die from it. Babies and older people have the highest risk of dying from tetanus.
Prevention
Tetanus can be prevented with vaccination. If you're eligible, you can get tetanus vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program. See more information about when to get vaccinated.
Vaccination
Find out more about getting vaccinated against tetanus.
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
For information about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, see healthdirect's tetanus page.
Surveillance and reporting
Tetanus is a nationally notifiable disease.
We monitor cases through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
For more on tetanus in Australia, you can search Communicable Diseases Intelligence.