Why is it so dangerous to step on a rusty nail?

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Louise Thwaites |

TED-Ed

• August 2024

In the 5th century, a ship master was suffering from a nasty infection that caused his jaws to press together, his teeth to lock up, and the muscles in his neck and spine to spasm. Today we know this account to be one the first recorded cases of tetanus. So, what causes this peculiar infection? Louise Thwaites explores how tetanus affects our bodies, and how we can prevent it. [Directed by Andrew Foerster, Rewfoe, narrated by Pen-Pen Chen, music by Jason Stamatyades].