Anyone who has had the misfortune of getting a nasty gash from a rusty nail is sometimes told to 'get a tetanus' by the people around them.

But what does that mean, and what is Tetanus?

The Tetanus illness is caused by a powerful nerve poison secreted by the spores of the Clostridium Tetani bacterium.

Tetanus spores are found everywhere, usually in soil, dust, and animal waste. They get into the body through a burn injury, a contaminated needle or even a pinprick or scratch - so anyone with a new wound who has not been vaccinated is highly likely to catch the disease.

Once the spores enter a wound, the poison they create spreads through the body, causing headaches muscle spasms and, in particular,  cramping of the jaw muscles. This gives Tetanus its other name - Lockjaw.

As the poison spreads, it attacks more muscles, causing spasms in the neck, arms, legs, and stomach, and sometimes violent convulsions or seizures.

A tetanus booster is usually given to patients suffering from a deep cut injury and who have not had a booster for more than five years.

Thanks to widespread vaccination though, cases of tetanus in the UK are now rare. In developing countries though, Tetanus is a major problem and around three out of 10 persons with the disease die from it.

Recovery from Tetanus can take up to two months. Muscle spasms usually decrease after about two weeks and disappear after one month, but the person may be weak and stiff for many weeks to come.

Other complications include breathing problems, bone fractures, high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeats, clotting in the blood vessels of the lung, pneumonia, and coma.