In article ,
Janet Baraclough writes:
|
| My understanding is that tetanus does not reproduce in the intestine of
| mammals, but infects them, and produces spores as the dead body decomposes.
| That source dried up over a century back.
|
| http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40000432/ also disagrees with you
|
| "Tetanus
|
| Infection with Clostridium tetani, a spore-forming Gram-positive
| obligate anaerobe. Spores are found in virtually all soil, particularly
| soil rich in manure, but also in house dust and both animal and human
| faeces. "

No, it doesn't. It says that the spores are found in those locations,
and NOT that it reproduces in those locations. Spores can't reproduce
by themselves, you know, and the vegetative (reproductive) state of
tetanus is very sensitive to adverse conditions - not just oxygen.

Because of the extreme durability and small size of the spores, ones
produced from decaying animal carcases will get into the soil, be a
component of soil dust in dry conditions, and blow into other locations.
So the fact that the spores are found everywhere does not mean that the
vegetative form can grow anywhere.

I haven't found a clear statement of its life cycle in an authoritative
reference, so my understanding may be wrong. However, your references
do nothing to contradict it.

The reason that I am uncertain is that other Clostridium species are
common gut bacteria, and it is possible that it does reproduce in the
intestine of mammals - in which case, it almost certainly does so in
ours as well as those of domestic mammals. But I have seen no more than
a hint in anything I have read that that is the case - the above hints
at that, but does not state it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.