For all gardeners...

[Tussiemussies]

I recently read a gardening article that recommended if you are going to work in the soil to get a tetanus shot since it can be picked up through the soil... Just wanted to share...christine

[lessisbest]

"There were 233 tetanus cases in the United States during the years 2001 to 2008, with a 13% fatality rate."

-Ground-sourced contaminants (from animals and other sources) - is the reason we shouldn't use windfall apples (those are apples picked off the ground) when home canning apple pie filling. A boiling water canner may not get hot enough to destroy the bacteria.

Other bacteria you can be in contact with from soil:

-C. botulinum (and its resistant spores) is widely distributed in soil and water. Different toxin types are found in different geographic areas: Type A, commonly found in the western United States, may prefer "virgin soils," which are neutral or alkaline and low in organic content, whereas type B (eastern United States) may prefer cultivated soil. Usually, C. botulinum toxin is ingested through food that has been contaminated by the bacterium, resulting in growth and toxin production. Spores may resist boiling (which promotes anerobiasis) for several hours; pressure cooking is required to kill spores.

-Clostridium perfringens is ubiquitous in soil, from which it may be ingested into the gastrointestinal tract. It is associated with a variety of human diseases, including classic food poisoning. Evidence suggests, however, that most cases of gastrointestinal disease caused by C. perfringens have their source from food contaminated by other humans or by animal feces rather than directly from the soil.

-Anthrax, primarily a disease of herbivores, is caused by the Gram-positive, spore-forming rod Bacillus anthracis.

-Campylobacter has been associated with mountain bike racers "swallowing mud" during a race in British Columbia, without known environmental contamination of the track.

-And there are a number of fungal infections associated with soil.

For more information: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770540

[kib]

It's a wonder we're not all dead, what one out of every eighty million people expiring from tetanus every year. ;)

[herbgeek]

There are risks in everything. This one is so low, I'm going to take my chances. I tend to wear gloves anyways when gardening. Now if I stepped on a rusty nail, I might be a little more concerned about having my tetanus shot up to date, but playing in the dirt doesn't get me to that level of concern. ;)

[Birdie]

I get a tetanus shot every 5 years because of all the gardening I do. One of my instructors in the Master Gardener program recommended tetanus every five years, as if we had a dirty wound. Normal updates are every ten years, dirty wounds every five.

[Songbird]

My dr reminded me that I needed a tetanus shot last year at my annual exam. I was glad she did. Being a gardener that enjoys digging in the dirt, I think a tetanus shot is just good common sense...

[Gardenarian]

I have worried about this a bit, because I am unable to get the tetanus vaccine (I had a severe reaction when I was little that left me with a disability.)
I still garden without gloves...

[catherine]

Yeah, I love gardening without gloves, and to be honest, I never thought about tetanus. I've always considered MY dirt to be CLEAN dirt :) (My kid's poop don't stink!)

I probably should wear gloves more often. I am not sure I'd go for a preventative tetanus shot, but maybe I should consider it.

[KayLR]

I've always thought you were more at risk if you worked around livestock and their "leavings" and for gardeners, if they use manure as a soil amendment. Isn't much of the commercial manure sterilized?

[Gardenarian]

Here's something from the CDC on tetanus (http://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/causes-transmission.html):

Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. Tetanus bacteria are everywhere in the environment, including soil, dust and manure.

Common Ways Tetanus Gets Into Your Body

The bacteria can get into the body through broken skin, usually through injuries from contaminated objects. Certain breaks in the skin that are more likely to get infected with tetanus bacteria. These include:
•Wounds contaminated with dirt, poop (feces), or spit (saliva)
•Wounds caused by an object puncturing the skin, like a nail or needle (puncture wounds)
•Burns
•Crush injuries
•Injuries with dead tissue

Rare Ways Tetanus Gets Into Your Body

Tetanus has also been linked to clean superficial wounds (when only the topmost layer of skin is scraped off), surgical procedures, insect bites, dental infections, compound fractures (a break in the bone where it is exposed), chronic sores and infections, and intravenous (IV) drug use.

The incubation period – time from exposure to illness – is usually 3–21 days (average 10 days), although it may range from 1 day to several months, depending on the kind of wound. Most cases occur within 14 days. In general, shorter incubation periods are seen with more heavily contaminated wounds, more severe disease, and a worse outcome of the disease (prognosis).