Should I be worried about tetanus, or am I being a silly goose?

Drez

So I am doing this massive cleaning project in my bedroom today. This included my PC. After dicking around for awhile, my PC started overheating. Not sure what I did to trigger that.

Anyway, it took me awhile to figure out that it was overheating. In the midst of that, I (stupidly) poked around in my case while the PC was on. I managed to cut my finger on my Radeon video card's fan.

The wound is very, very light. No blood at all, just looks like the skin is broken on the surface. In fact, I didn't even notice until I looked at my finger like 10 minutes later and it was discolored. No blood, but it's a dirty wound.

That said, it was very dusty in the case. Like 10,000-year-old-mummy dusty. I'm worried I may turn into a mummy. I mean I'm worried about tetanus. I haven't had a shot in like 20 years or so. I did use soap and hydrogen peroxide to clean it. Is that good enough? I worry too much about everything, so I'm worried that I may be worrying too much about this.

Foomy

Unless you happen to live outdoors without a roof, the chances your computer have any tetanus bacterium inside it is basically 0, and even than you need more than a very slight cut to transfer it.

I can't count the number of times i've cut myself working inside dusty computers, and never once have I worried about catching something.

see317

I was under the impression that tetanus was carried by rusty shit rather than dusty shut.
Really, the point is pretty much moot if there's no blood, just saying. If it didn't get deep enough to bleed the risk of infection is pretty much nil. Really, I'd be more worried about inhaling the dust, but that may just be me.

Wash the scratch, maybe put some topical antibiotics (neosporin or the like) on it if you're stressing about it.

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud

I don't know your health insurance status but it would be worthwhile to go get a booster for your TDAP (Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis). Whooping cough is coming back and adults have lost their immunity. You could protect yourself against both by getting a booster. If you are uninsured, I think county health offices offer it for very cheap.

Drez

I'm insured. I haven't had a general checkup in well over a decade, so I think I'll do that and at the same time refresh my immunities.

Drez

Also:

@Foomy: Thanks.

@see317: Thanks. I was always told "rust" too, but I decided to google it and apparently the bacterium in question lives primarily in soil, manure, and dust. Mayoclinic and other sites don't even mention rust. I'm a bit perplexed about that, to be honest.

edit: Ah (per Wikipedia): "It is caused by the tetanus bacterium Clostridium tetani. Tetanus is often associated with rust, especially rusty nails, but this concept is somewhat misleading. Objects that accumulate rust are often found outdoors, or in places that harbor anaerobic bacteria, but the rust itself does not cause tetanus nor does it contain more C. tetani bacteria. The rough surface of rusty metal merely provides a prime habitat for a C. tetani endospore to reside, and the nail affords a means to puncture skin and deliver endospore into the wound."

Foomy

Rust doesn't need to be on the metal to get Tetanus, it just happens that rusty metals tend to be pitted and outside and have a slightly higher chance of C.Tetani to be hanging around on.

Cabezone

Foomy wrote: »

Rust doesn't need to be on the metal to get Tetanus, it just happens that rusty metals tend to be pitted and outside and have a slightly higher chance of C.Tetani to be hanging around on.

Tetanus is anaerobic... doesn't even need to be on metal. I liked a moist oxygen free location...hence rusty buried nails. You wont' get it from your PC....unless you PC was buried outside.

phoo

I'll mostly echo what others have said.... it's very highly unlikely you are going to get tetanus. I used to get cut on cases all the time and they didn't get infected.

Having said that, FCCs advice about getting the TDAP shot is sound. Pertussis is nasty stuff and it is making a big comeback. BUT, depending on your immune system, make certain you aren't doing anything for a few of days after the shot. Some people don't notice a thing, but I got the "unflu" from it. All the fever and fun of a flu, but without the active bacteria. I did avoid the puking, but I needed to eat super bland foods and the body aches were much worse than H1Nerd1. I know that sounds scary, but it's still MUCH better than catching the diseases the shot protects you against. Ok, Pertussis isn't likely to kill you (like tetanus will), but you'll be sick for more than 4-5 days and you'll unhelpfully share it with innocent people and it could kill the disabled, asthmatic, children and elderly.

ahava

pretty much what FCC and phoo said.

Go get your booster shot.

I can never really hurt to be up on your shots. And at least now, you'll know when your last one was so that when you do accidentally stab yourself with a rusty nail, you'll know that you've been covered!