Profese online 2021, 14(2):10-13 | DOI: 10.5507/pol.2021.014

Tetanus as a disappearing infection

Jana Janoutová1, Ondřej Machaczka1, Anna Zatloukalová1, Ivanka Matoušková2, Vladimír Janout1
1Ústav zdravotnického managementu a ochrany veřejného zdraví, Fakulta zdravotnických věd, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Olomouc, Česká republika
2 Ustav veřejného zdravotnictví, Lékařská fakulta, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Olomouc, Česká republika

Background: Tetanus is an important infectious disease that is characterized by high lethality. For many decades, an effective vaccine against this disease has been available, the use of which has achieved the elimination of this dangerous infection.

Objective: To prove that at present tetanus is a disappearing infection, against which there is good immunity in all age groups, including the oldest individuals.

Methods: Protective antibodies against tetanus have been demonstrated in persons over 60 years of age using the ELISA method.

Results: Examination of elderly persons in serological reviews in the Czech Republic between 1986 and 2002 showed protective antibody titres. In most cases, a group of 13 people aged 61-93 years who had an interval of more than 10 years from the last vaccination had tetanus antibody protection titres.

Conclusions: Elderly people in the Czech Republic have good and acceptable immunity to tetanus as confirmed by a number of antibody tests within serological reviews or other examinations. The epidemiological situation in tetanus in the Czech Republic is also circumstantial evidence, but highly valid. Since 1990, only isolated cases have been recorded, with still high exposure of the entire population.

Keywords: Tetanus, disappearing infection, ELISA antibodies, elderly people

Received: October 2021; Revised: October 2021; Accepted: November 2021; Published: December 2021  Show citation

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Janoutová, J., Machaczka, O., Zatloukalová, A., Matoušková, I., & Janout, V. (2021). Tetanus as a disappearing infection. Profese Online, 14(2), 10-13. doi: 10.5507/pol.2021.014
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