Germs may be spread by direct contact with infected animals. Hands should be washed after playing with animals. Germs are also transmitted through soil, air, food, water, milk and feces. If someone steps on a rusty nail that has been contaminated with these tetanus spores and the nail punctures the skin, the tetanus organism is introduced into the person. If the person is not properly immunized against tetanus, the result can be fatal.
Germs also come from objects that have been contaminated by an infected person.
Germs can be transferred by vectors, where the organism adheres to an insect's body. The purpose of immunization is to protect people from organisms that can cause serious disease. Killed vaccines can stimulate the person who receives the vaccine to develop antibodies without developing the disease. Examples of treated toxins are tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid. These antibodies are found in the blood plasma, which is used to provide protection against viral illnesses, such as viral hepatitis A and B, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, mumps, chickenpox.