Tetanus is a disease that is acquired when the spores of the bacterium Clostridium Tetani infect a wound or the umbilical stump. Spores are universally present in the soil. People of all ages can get tetanus but the disease is particularly common and serious in newborn babies (“neonatal tetanus”). It requires treatment in a medical facility, often in a referral hospital. Neonatal tetanus, which is mostly fatal, is particularly common in rural areas where deliveries are at home without adequate sterile procedures.
Source: World Health Organization