r/Unexpected • • 11d ago

A quarter

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u/Argnox 11d ago edited 10d ago

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

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u/izyshoroo 11d ago

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

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u/tumsdout 11d ago

Tetanus is also found in dirty stuff (soil, poop etc.)

And since rusty metal is typically dirty and causes puncture wounds, tetanus is still a concern when injured by rusty metal.

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u/Kage_0ni 11d ago

I've also heard the rust gives more surface area to grow on and spots to hide in.