04-22-2002, 04:52 PM
Tetanus is caused by the tetanus bacillus, a bacterium that grows anaerobically at the wound site. It has nothing to do with rust, which is merely oxidized iron. Red blood cells are full of iron. Hemoglobin is the iron-storing respiratory pigment in red blood cells. Iron in a wound is harmless. It's the bacterium that is lethal. <p></p><i></i>