This is one reason why prevention and the development of newer, more effective vaccines are so important. The bacteria can enter the body through a tiny pinprick or scratch but prefer deep puncture wounds or cuts like those made by nails or knives. Tetanus bacteria commonly are found in soil, dust, and manure. Tetanus is not spread from person to person. Common first signs of tetanus are headache and muscle stiffness in the jaw, followed by stiffness of the neck, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, sweating, and fever.
Diphtheria usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose, or skin.
Like tetanus, it is caused by the toxin, or poison, of a bacterium, but it can spread from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. It can lead to breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis, and sometimes death. Diphtheria may be mistaken for a severe sore throat. Other symptoms include a low-grade fever and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. A second form of diphtheria causes sores on the skin that may be painful, red, and swollen.