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.
• Case definition: See Tetanus (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• 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 in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• 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 – Tetanus (external site).

Guidelines for public health units

• Western Australian immunisation schedule
• Australian Immunisation Handbook – 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