IntroductionClostridium tetani, more commonly known as tetanus, is an acute infectious disease. Tetanus is not contagious and is a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani. It is characterized by muscle spasms which mainly affect voluntary muscle groups. Tetanus can affect horses, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, sheep, cattle and many other domestic animals. In cattle, the disease is relatively rare, but in some cases it can spread through a herd, causing substantial economic losses. Clostridium tetani is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria that can be found in soil, in the intestines of many animals and therefore naturally in the feces of most animals. Tetanus is more common in warmer months and less common in colder months, when the ground is frozen. Tetanus enters the body through a wound, most commonly in cattle via a castration site or umbilical location of a newborn calf.HistoryTetanus is one of the first recognized diseases and was first known and described by Hippocrates in the 6th century BC (Gibbons et. al, 1970) In 1844, scientists successfully produced tetanus in a rabbit. They had taken material from a human who had died of the disease and injected it into the rabbit. (Jensen et al., 1973) Shortly after the disease broke out in guinea pigs, mice and rats, this was accomplished by inoculating them with garden soil. (Gibbons et. al, 1970) It was not until 1889 that Clostridium tetani was cultivated. EtiologyClostridium tetani is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium that has poor motility and the ability to carry spores. The spores are very resistant to heat, light and drying and can survive in soil and feces for months or even years. When the spores can be in direct contact with the medium of the paper with the skin. Vaccines that protect against Clostridium tetani are also available. Treatment Without treatment, affected cattle can die within three to ten days and the mortality rate is still as high as sixty percent. In order to treat these animals, they must be tranquilized. Penicillin or another antibiotic should be given to stop bacterial multiplication and toxin production. (Thomas et. al, 2009) Since the animals' muscles will be spasmed and very stiff, they will be unable to eat or drink, treatment should also include supportive care. This can be accomplished by giving intravenous fluids or force-feeding him through a stomach tube. Supportive treatment should be continued until signs of muscle spasms have diminished and the animal regains control of its body. This can take between one and four weeks. (Thomas et al., 2009)