VICTORIA, British Columbia, Mar 3, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Health officials in
Canada's retirement haven of Victoria, British Columbia, are warning senior
gardeners dirt can be deadly, as three deaths last year show.
Chief Medical Health Officer Richard Stanwick said three people over the age of
50 died of tetanus on Vancouver Island last year, and it's likely they acquired
it from soil in their gardens, the Victoria Times Colonist reported.
"They were all people who haven't had a (tetanus) immunization in at least 10
years or longer," he said. "There's a lot of risk in the garden."
Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is an infection found in manure and soil that
thrives on damaged tissue, and makes its way into the body through even the
tiniest of cuts, he said.
It can cause contraction of muscles, stiffness, spasms and death, but can easily
be prevented with vaccinations at least every 10 years among adults, he said.
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