Which one of the following diseases is caused through the wound or injury or surfaces of unsterilized surgical instruments?

Tetanus is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which produces a potent neurotoxin [t4, t6]. The primary mode of transmission is through the contamination of wounds, cuts, or punctures with bacterial spores found in soil, dust, or manure [t2, t3]. Crucially, the disease can be transmitted via unsterilized surgical instruments or contaminated medical equipment, such as needles or tools used for cutting the umbilical stump in neonatal cases [t2, t6]. While other options like Kala Azar are transmitted by sandflies [t1] and Diphtheria primarily through respiratory droplets, Tetanus specifically enters the body through broken skin and thrives in anaerobic environments created by deep injuries or unsterile procedures [t3, t5]. Preventive measures include thorough wound cleaning and vaccination with tetanus toxoid [c1, t5].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/tetanus
2. [2] https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/causes/index.html
3. [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482484/
4. [4] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > Ability of the body to fight diseases > p. 38