RT Book, Section A1 Overturf, Gary D. A2 Rudolph, Colin D. A2 Rudolph, Abraham M. A2 Lister, George E. A2 First, Lewis R. A2 Gershon, Anne A. SR Print(0) ID 7028402 T1 Chapter 289. Tetanus T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e YR 2011 FD 2011 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-149723-7 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7028402 RD 2024/03/29 AB Tetanus is an acute illness caused by an exotoxin produced by the vegetative form of Clostridium tetani. The tetanus bacillus is an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming organism. It is widely distributed in the soil in most parts of the world. Clostridium tetani is normally present in the intestines of horses, cattle, and other herbivora, and is found in 2% to 30% of normal human fecal flora. The highest number of colonized persons occurs in agricultural communities. The tetanus organism is a wound contaminant and does not cause tissue destruction or inflammation.