Zoonoses in Vojvodina. I. Epidemiologic characteristics of tetanus in Vojvodina

• Published in: Medicinski pregled Vol. 47; no. 3-4; p. 91
• Main Authors: Seguljev, Z, Vuković, B, Ićurup-Veskov, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Croatian
• Published: Serbia 01-03-1994
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Tetanus - epidemiology; Yugoslavia - epidemiology; Yugoslavia
• ISSN: 0025-8105

Epidemiologic characteristics of tetanus in Voivodina were analyzed on the basis of reported cases of sickness or death, during the period from 1962 to 1991, and epidemiologic investigation on 35 sick persons suffering from tetanus during the last 5 years. By compulsory immunization against tetanus this disease is practically eliminated at the age when one is protected by immunity vaccine. Abandoning domiciliary childbirth neonatorum tetanus has been eliminated. Today tetanus occurs sporadically as a result of small, naive injuries, mostly in nonimmunized elderly people. Considering number of the sick, in 6.1% it happens to persons older than 60 years of age. Tetanus remains a health problem because of its high lethality, which is statistically significantly higher in older patients. On the basis of gathered results it is realistic to expect that applying compulsory immunization against tetanus to older people in 10 year intervals will not eliminate this disease, but it will significantly reduce lethality which is still about 25% in Voivodina.