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The Journal of the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology |
Biblioraphy Information
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[Vol.21 No.1 contents] Japanese / English |
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| ArticleTitle | A Case of Tetanus with Successful Isolation of Clostridium tetani after Obtaining Appropriate Samples According to the Clinical Information |
| Language | J |
| AuthorList | Kazutaka Ohashi1), Hiromi Kawai1), Minako Watanabe1), Utako Yamamoto1), Emi Okazaki1), Yukiko Takano1), Kii Hayakawa1), Toshio Sato1), Noboru Ohana1), Natsuo Yamamoto2), Yuji Imafuku2), Yasuhiko Tsukada3), Kumiko Sugama5), Yuuko Oguro5), Akihiko Yamamoto4), Motohide Takahashi4), Keiji Kanemitsu2) |
| Affiliation |
1) Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University Hospital 2) Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University 3) Department of Emergency, Fukushima Medical University Hospital 4) Laboratory of Bacterial Toxins, Toxoids, and Antitoxins Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases 5) Fukushima Institute of Public Health |
| Publication | J.J.C.M.: 21 (1), 35-39, 2011 |
| Received | August 23, 2010 |
| Accepted | December 25, 2010 |
| Abstract | Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by the obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. It has severe symptoms such as tonic convulsions, and a high mortality rate. C. tetani can be found in the soil around the world, and the bacteria enter the body through a wound site, and subsequently induce infection. It grows at the site of infection, and produces tetanospasmin, which is a neurotoxin. Approximately 100 cases of this disease are reported every year in Japan. However, it is difficult to culture C. tetani and the identification of this bacterium is also rare. Therefore, tetanus is usually diagnosed based on the specific clinical symptoms of this disease and a history of wound infection. This report describes a case with bacteria that were isolated from the infected area, and were thereafter identified to be C. tetani. The tetanus toxin from this strain was determined and bacteriological features were elucidated. A 50-year-old female injured her left leg while working with farming equipment. She was transported to the hospital due to rigid body symptoms. Tissue specimens were submitted to microbiology laboratory with a suspicion of tetanus. Rapid sample processing and anaerobic culturing successfully isolated the bacteria. |
| Keywords | tetanus, Clostridium tetani, tetanospasmin |
| Copyright © 2002 The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology All rights reserved. |