So if you did get tetanus,

[Plummeting]

what would be the first symptoms? What I mean is, would you have symptoms of a localized infection near the wound first or would you have no signs of an infection near the wound, just right to serious infection? I'm asking because I read something about how TIG should be injected near the "point of entry" of the bacteria "if it could be identified" so it seemed that maybe it you could not even know how you got tetanus? Is that even possible?

[Jazmommie]

Yes,it is possible to get tetanus & nOT know point of entry--maybe a small splinter you forgot about or a thorn stick you did not even notice.
BUT IT IS VERY RARE!!
Most tetanus victims are elderly with bedsores with dead skin in them or are IV drug users or babes in other countries that have had mud with tetanus spores put on the umbilical cord stump.
First symptoms are lockjaw-a tightening or spasming of the muscles that control chewing-present in more than 50 % of all cases according to Aviva Jill Romm's book on vaccines.Fever may be present with irritability,headache & chills.

[onlyboys]

My grandmother had tetanus when I was a little girl (she was not elderly, it was just a fluke thing) and she has no clue how she got it. She works in the yard a lot, and had cats, so they docs thought that she might have gotten it from there. I've talked with her about it and she *was* vaccinated for tetanus on schedule, and still got it.

She survived, btw.