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tetanus
(tet´ә-nәs)
physiological tetanus.
a highly fatal disease caused by the bacillus Clostridium tetani, characterized by muscle spasms and convulsions. The bacilli are common in rural areas, especially in soil and dust, and are spread by animal and human feces. They grow
in the intestines of humans and other animals after entering the body through a break in the skin, such as a puncture wound
caused by a nail, splinter, insect bite, or gunshot. Because of the characteristic jaw stiffness, the condition is also known
as lockjaw. The most common types of tetanus are generalized, localized, and neonatal. adj., tetan´ic., adj.

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