The pathogen we refer to as tetanus is Clostridium tetani. It enters the body through broken skin or mucous membranes and proliferates extensively in an anaerobic environment, producing toxins that cause a characteristic infection known as tetanus. After infection, the incubation period of tetanus varies; typically, symptoms appear within seven to eight days, but they can manifest as quickly as within twenty-four hours or take several months or even years to develop.