Beskrivning
Tetanus
The tamaVet® Tetanus Test is intended for the rapid detection of anti-Clostridium tetani antibodies in the whole blood or serum of horses, optimising vaccination management and aiding the diagnosis of infection. The bacterium Clostridium tetani belongs to the Clostridiales order. It is abundant in soil, with infection primarily occurring through wounds. Muscle spasms (tetanus or ʻlockjawʼ) triggered by Clostridium tetani develop through the proliferation of pathogens in the area of the wound and the formation of toxins. A major factor in the virulence of the infection is the tetanus
neurotoxin ‘TeNT’, which mainly takes a neurogenic route to the central nervous system. The resulting uncontrolled release of acetylcholine prompts clinical symptoms in horses, such as the prolapse of the nictitating membrane, trismus in the masticatory muscles, a ʻsaw horseʼ posture, motor disorders accompanied by muscle spasms and even convulsions. The test is suitable for the monitoring of antibody titers and the optimisation of vaccination times in the context of vaccination management in foals and horses as well as for for the detection of infection with Clostridium tetani.