Disease of the Day - Tetanus

Question 1

What is the causative agent of tetanus?

Answer 1

Clostridium tetani

Question 2

Tetanus is most often associated with what kind of injury?

Answer 2

Puncture wound.

Question 3

How does tetanus toxin work?

Answer 3

Antagonizes inhibitory interneurons, leading to rigid paralysis.

Question 4

What is the first leukocyte to respond to a Clostridium invasion?

Answer 4

Neutrophil.

Question 5

How long will it take for the primary immune response to tetanus toxin to occur?

Answer 5

7-10 days.

Often, this is too late. If untreated, the animal will die.

Question 6

Define “antitoxin.”

Answer 6

Antibody to a toxin.

If given exogenously, confers passive immunity.

Question 7

True or False: If given antitoxin, a patient will be immune to future toxin exposures.

Answer 7

FALSE

Antitoxins confer passive immunity. No memory cells are formed in the process.

Question 8

Define “toxoid.”

Answer 8

A chemically inactivated toxin that confers active immunity in the host.

Question 9

True or False: After being given toxoid, an animal will be immune to future toxin exposures.

Answer 9

TRUE

Toxoid stimulates the adaptive immune system, so memory cells will be formed for future infections.

Question 10

How does the adaptive immune system respond to tetanus infection in a vaccinated animal?

Answer 10

IgG binds to tetanus toxin to neutralize the toxin.

IgG binds to the infectious microbes and opsonize it for phagocytosis.

IgG also initiates the complement pathway.