Child in critical condition at London hospital with Ontario’s first recorded case of tetanus

A six-year-old boy from Owen Sound, Ont. is in critical condition with tetanus.

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is rare in Ontario with only one case per year on average. This is the first recorded case in Grey and Bruce.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit says tetanus spores are found everywhere from soil and dust to manure. Even with early treatment, tetanus has a fatality rate of 20 per cent. The rate is higher for infants and the elderly.

The health unit says a complete series of routine vaccinations starting at age two months provides 99 per cent protection. It’s recommended adults get a booster every ten years.

Agencies/Canadajournal