The present article summarises the historical and palaeopatho-logical evidence of tetanus, an ineradicable yet vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Clostridium tetani. The antiquity of the disease is described thanks to historical written sources, artistic references and very recent palaeogenetic data. A recollection of now long-supplanted therapies is offered together with a focus on the introduction of an effective vaccine. Moreover, a potential identification of tetanus in the Bible is analysed and general considerations on the current health relevance of tetanus are presented.

Francesco Maria Galassi, Raffaella Bianucci, Simon T Donell, Valentina Vittori, Andreas Nerlich, Mariano Martini, et al. (2025). Tetanus: historical and palaeopathological aspects considering its current health impact. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE, 65(4) [10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.4.3376].

Tetanus: historical and palaeopathological aspects considering its current health impact

Raffaella Bianucci
;
Elena Varotto
2025-01-10

Abstract

The present article summarises the historical and palaeopatho-logical evidence of tetanus, an ineradicable yet vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Clostridium tetani. The antiquity of the disease is described thanks to historical written sources, artistic references and very recent palaeogenetic data. A recollection of now long-supplanted therapies is offered together with a focus on the introduction of an effective vaccine. Moreover, a potential identification of tetanus in the Bible is analysed and general considerations on the current health relevance of tetanus are presented.
10-gen-2025
Francesco Maria Galassi, Raffaella Bianucci, Simon T Donell, Valentina Vittori, Andreas Nerlich, Mariano Martini, et al. (2025). Tetanus: historical and palaeopathological aspects considering its current health impact. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE, 65(4) [10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.4.3376].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/669003
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