'Once Bitten': A Case of Tetanus Following Snakebite in Australia.

Med J AustSep 30, 2026

Adrian A S Doherty, Naomi N E Clarke, Sarah Fletcher et al.

✦ AI-curated · Sources linked

Case in brief

A 58-year-old woman in Victoria, Australia, presented after a suspected Tiger snake bite. She was not current with her tetanus vaccination and did not receive a booster. Twelve days later, she exhibited symptoms of tetanus and was treated with tetanus immunoglobulin and metronidazole, leading to clinical improvement.

Diagnostic / clinical pearl

Clinicians should assess tetanus vaccination status in patients presenting with snakebites, as envenomation can pose a risk for tetanus infection.

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of updating tetanus vaccinations in patients at risk, particularly in regions where snakebites are common.

Source

Published in Med J Aust. This summary was written by xxcode from the publication's abstract and metadata. It is not peer reviewed and is not a substitute for the original article. For clinical decisions, review the original publication.

ShareTelegramLinkedIn

AI-generated summaries may contain errors or omissions. Verify clinically important information with the original publication.

More in Infectious Diseases

Want this personalized?

Stop searching the literature. Choose what you follow and xxcode will build your personalized medical digest.

  • Your specialties
  • Your filters and thresholds
  • Clinical Research + Case Reports, tuned separately
  • Automatic weekly delivery
  • Audio and text

Prefer listening? Personalized audio digests are available with Pro.

Stay updated for free

Get the 3 most interesting publications in one specialty each week.

Weekly email. Unsubscribe anytime.