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Show Gardeners need tetanus shot The first signs of tetanus are usually muscular stiffness in the jaw and neck, hence the name, lockjaw. lock-jaw. As the condition worsens, the jaw, neck and limbs become locked in spasm, abdominal muscles grow rigid and convulsions may occur, he said. Complications include pneumonia, fractures, and exhaustion exhaus-tion from the muscle spasms. Gardeners, before getting your hands too dirty, be sure your tetanus immunization is up to date. In the United States there are 50 to 100 tetanus cases reported annually. annu-ally. Many of these incidents did not come from people stepping on rusty nails, but rather from gardening garden-ing or handling animals, according to Brent Gledhill, Utah State University Uni-versity Extension horticulturist in Utah County. Tetanus is caused by a bacterium found almost everywhere, but primarily in soil, he said. "The bacteria usually enter the body through deep puncture wounds and lacerations, but sometimes even through a pinprick or scratch," he said. Tetanus booster shots should be given every 10 years from about age 15 on. Survey shows that 40 percent of people over 60 are not adequately immunized against |