Q: Isn’t there a rat poison that causes tetanus infection?A: No. The medical condition known as tetanus is due to a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani (as discussed in last week’s column), and that requires infection with this bacterium. However, strychnine (a substance sometimes used in rat poisons) poisoning may have some symptoms similar to tetanus, specifically tetany (involuntary contraction of muscles).Poisons are one [...]