Dr Kiran Kumar Medical Officer of Health

By Mwangi Ngamate
mwangi@caymannetnews.com

Medical Officer of Health Dr Kiran Kumar is urging residents of Cayman Brac & Little Cayman to get vaccinated against tetanus.

Dr Kumar said individuals who have not had a tetanus vaccine in the last five years are at risk and should get one to be protected.

“Because of nails and metal parts left behind by Hurricane Paloma, people might get cuts and there is a risk of contracting tetanus,” he said.

Dr Kumar said that despite water being left behind from the storm, there is no need for vaccinations against typhoid, cholera or dysentery as these diseases are not present on the Sister Islands.

He said that 99 percent of school children have received the tetanus toxoid vaccination and only adults may not have received it.

“I am confident that the majority of the population of Cayman Brac & Little Cayman have had the vaccination, but those who have not had a booster dose for the last five years should have one,” Dr Kumar said.

Tetanus is a bacterial infection and is fatal if left untreated. The bacteria can enter cuts and abrasions, and symptoms can quickly progress to include convulsive spasms of skeletal muscles and the stiffness of the jaw commonly referred to as ‘lockjaw.’

In advanced stages, tetanus leads to a pneumonic condition and then death.

Tetanus is caused by a spore commonly found in soil that comes from the faeces of horses, sheep, cattle, dogs, donkeys, cats, rats and chickens.

The infection’s incubation period is from three to eight days depending on the wound. The further the injury site is from the nervous system, the longer the incubation period.

Unlike other treatments for bacterial infections that use antibiotics, the tetanus immune globulin is used to treat tetanus and works like a vaccine by helping the body create antibodies to resist disease.

Dr Kumar also warned the public in the Sister Islands to use only bottled water to avoid contamination. “Cistern water must be disinfected to avoid any contamination either through bathing, cooking, or washing of dishes,” he said.