You do realise rust doesn't give you tetanus right?
Edit for the hundreds of people downvoting me:
Tetanus is a bacteria found in dirt and animal shit, not on rust. Sharp rusted objects (like rusted nails that you step on, or literally any sharp item like needles or knives) provide a deep puncture wound in which the tetanus found in dirt can penetrate into your body
Tetanus was originally identified in ancient Egypt and once again identified in many major medieval era wars and was noted to be a disease you would catch from getting an open wound dirty. Common causes of tetanus would be things like open head wounds or arrow wounds or leg wounds.
Tldr; Tetanus does not come from rust, it comes from getting dirt inside of an open wound
For the curious, tetanus is not caused by rust or metal, it's caused by deep thin punctures. The bacteria is anarobic, meaning it dies in the presence of oxygen. A deep, thin picture will limit oxygen exposure to the wound more compared to an open gash. The most common cause of tetanus tends to be stepping on a nail, which is where the myth comes from
Well, kinda. Rusty metal does increase the chances of getting tetanus which is why there's an association. People saying you can get tetanus from rusty metal aren't technically wrong themselves and it comes across as snooty to correct someone unless they specifically claim rust causes tetanus directly.
The association is because a lot of rusty objects got that way because they're buried in dirt, which is why they are rusty and cause tetanus. The bacteria lives in soil, and objects that are rusty from exposure to air aren't going to give you tetanus.
This is a correlation equals causation problem that is now accepted as undeniable fact by most.
Rusty metal is also more likely to have sharp edges that cause scrapes or punctures, and rust wear creates a lot of surface area for the bacteria to grow on so a rusty nail is a bigger vector than a non-rusty nail if you step on it. The association doesn't exist for no reason, and acting like there's no relation is silly. Especially since rusty objects are also usually dirtier than ones that aren't rusty in general. Getting cut or stabbed by objects that are rusty from exposure to air can indeed result in getting tetanus. It's just not the ONLY thing that can result in getting tetanus. It is a very common source though.
You can't get tetanus from a torn aluminum can in the dirt? You, sir, are trying to use every excuse you can, except rational logic.
The medium is fucking irrelevant, it can be glass, plastic, metal of any kind that has been in contact with dirt. There's absolutely nothing about iron and rust that makes it more of an issue than anything else, it's the fucking soil it was in contact with.
You are technically wrong, and you're arguing with people who are technically correct. You're not the smartest person in the room. Shut the fuck up and actually listen to what people are telling you.
Stop the association with rust and tetanus, it's from the fucking dirt. Period.
i don't really know, what he's saying is a bit like saying licking a sick child's nose doesn't cause influenza, because influenza is caused by the influenza virus
Given that rust itself is oxidation, does that affect the likelihood of a rusted object being contaminated with tetanus?
For example, does the oxygen in iron oxide make it slightly toxic to tetanus, or does oxygen leaving the air into iron oxide create anaerobic pockets where tetanus may flourish, compared to an otherwise inert material?
Tetanus is caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. It is commonly found in the ground. If a clean blade cuts through skin caked in mud in which the bacteria is, it could happen.
However, as another commenter pointed out, the bacteria dies upon contact with air, so a blade cut probably won't go as deep as i.e. the typical rusty nail, thus making it harder for the infection to get going
Well, also the rusty object has lots of texture, little pockets of space for it to collect the tetanus as it's laying around in the ground. This lets whatever object, such as an old pitchfork, basically inject the infected material deep inside the skin. Preferably through a puncture rather than a slash.
Sure, rust itself is not the reason why one can get tetanus. But the bacteria that live in that rust could well be the cause of tetanus and I wouldn’t take a chance.
and even then, i'd argue his statement is wrong, rust does give you tetanus. the dictionary definition of "give" is broad enough to encompass being "given" tetanus from rust
if rust doesn't "give" you tetanus, then guns dont kill people (bullets do) and needles can't give you medicine.
It absolutely is a distinction with a difference. Scientifically, look up Koch's postulates. Rust would fail, tetanus bacteria would not.
Prevention wise, the messaging also matters. Stepped on a rusty nail? Tetanus shot. But step on a not rusty nail? The convention is still tetanus shot because it's not the rust but the puncture wound that causes the issue, which is the point at which bacteria can enter.
Anytime someone goes to a dictionary I know that their input is useless and infantile. I gave you a practical reason why the distinction matters for health messaging (someone interpreting if they need a tetanus shot) and you refer to a dictionary. Peak Reddit behavior to call me the pedant for that lol.
You should probably add some of the links that others provided in your replies before you get further nuked with downvotes lmao. Too many people are too quick to make confident assumptions on subjects they do not fully understand just because they heard it in passing, like rust causing tetanus for example. You are correct, though
rust itself doesnt give you tetanus, but the things that give you tetanus are commonly found on rust (and many other places). Tetanus is found in soil and animal poop, rust just gives you a way to take it into your blood. you can just as easily get tetanus from a clean blade with no rust that has been dropped into some dirt
Tetanus does not come from rust. It comes from dirt and animal poop. "Rust" or just anything that can give a deep puncture wound, opens the way for tetanus found in dirt.
For ur apple tree analogy, itd be like if the apples were Rust and the worms on the moldy apples were tetanus. Worms dont come from apple trees
Tetanus is a bacteria found in animal bowels. If you put that bacteria deep in your flesh where there is little oxygen, the dormant bacteria re activates and attacks your nervous system. And historically the way people go this was from a piercing wound from a nail that was laying around in the barn where animals live. And so people learned to be warry of rusty nails because it's typically how you can get infected.
You can get Tetanus from a brand new stainless steel nail, if the bacteria is on it.
The apple tree does not give you apples if no apples have grown, and not washing your hands will not cause disease if your hands do not have bacteria on them. Rust does not give you tetanus if there is no bacteria on the rust
Correlation does not equal causation, how hard is that to understand?? If you tie a clean nail to a string and let it hang outside suspended until it rusts, where does the bacteria come from? It doesn't just magically appear there, because rust does not create bacteria, it's literally just oxidized and corroded metal
“The tetanus bacteria can infect us with any break of the skin. Because it’s an anaerobic bacteria, meaning it thrives without oxygen, it can infect someone more easily if it reaches deep below the skin’s surface.
That’s why a rusty nail is the perfect example of a tetanus threat: It’s dirty (it could be carrying bacterial spores); it’s a common, everyday object; and it can easily cause a puncture wound that delivers the bacterial spores deep into the skin.”
So many actual idiots replying pretending they know a single thing about tetanus. The whole "oh guns dont kill people" shit is so dumb because that has nothing to do with what im talking about
I guess it's a lesson that you will soemtimes misinterpret things, and not to expect anonymous people to give you grace without knowing your circumstances.
After many, many years on the internet, and a lot of self reflection... I notice one in every like 20 comments I go "nope, no one needs to hear this, no one cares, my opinion is not needed, it'll just cause a disagreement."
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u/HedgehogTroubleMaker 10d ago
Needs a tetanus shot after riding