<p>No. Tetanus <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/" rel="noreferrer">is caused by a soil bacteria</a>. You cannot get tetanus from rusty iron, if that iron has been sterilised.</p>

<p>There are no Earth bacteria on Mars. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars" rel="noreferrer">As far as we can tell,</a> there is no life of any kind on Mars.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-26T04:17:13.010Z
@planetmaker maybe so, so reversing everything...
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-25T06:57:53.760Z
2020-03-25T10:41:30.610Z
2020-03-25T10:41:30.610Z
James K
<p>Since the surface of Mars is covered with lots of iron and became red because of rustiness of iron,
<img src="https://live.mrf.io/statics/i/ps/cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mars-red-surface.jpg?width=1200&amp;enable=upscale">
Source from: live.mrf.io</p>

<p>if we do have plan to live there, can we get tetanus on those rusty thing? I don't know much if we can be immunize to this thing but still it might be lethal at some point if they have tetanus, even a slight stumble might be dangerous. </p>

<p><strong>Update:</strong> About being off-topic. I thought posting it in Astronomy would be better because they know much and literally know much more about Mars and its atmos, temp, minerals or something, instead of posting it in Medical-related stackexchange. I mean, it's Mars, Astronomy stuffs knows better, isn't it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-25T09:57:56.957Z
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is not about Astronomy as defined in the help center
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-25T10:52:02.433Z
No, bacteria can't live on the Mars. If they will be able, probably they will be highly specialized (possibly by DNA modification). Having a randomly selected bacteria, putting to the Mars would result only dead bacteria.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-25T12:48:04.467Z
You are starting from a false premise. Rust does not cause tetanus, https://www.ndhealth.gov/Publications/prevent/tetanus/tetanus.htm.  Tetanus is caused by a bacteria as mentioned by @peterh-ReinstateMonica
Bob516
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-26T06:44:45.253Z
A stumble on Mars could be dangerous if your suit gets damaged & starts leaking. The atmospheric pressure on Mars is roughly 1% that of Earth.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-26T23:14:58.553Z
For the benefit of the asker, there's no special relationship between tetanus and rusty metal. Tetanus lives in the soil and can be on anything that's been in contact with soil. It can infect many types of wounds, but is most likely to infect deep puncture wounds. And the thing most likely to cause deep puncture wounds after having been in contact with soil is sharp metal that's been left outdoors and therefore may be rusty. You could also get tetanus from a pointed stick, but a pointed stick would rot after a while, not lay around for decades waiting for someone to step on it.
StackOverthrow
<mars>
Does rusty iron on Mars have tetanus?
Shiz
# Does rusty iron on Mars have tetanus?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-25)

Since the surface of Mars is covered with lots of iron and became red because of rustiness of iron,
![](https://live.mrf.io/statics/i/ps/cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mars-red-surface.jpg?width=1200&enable=upscale)
Source from: live.mrf.io

if we do have plan to live there, can we get tetanus on those rusty thing? I don't know much if we can be immunize to this thing but still it might be lethal at some point if they have tetanus, even a slight stumble might be dangerous.

**Update:** About being off-topic. I thought posting it in Astronomy would be better because they know much and literally know much more about Mars and its atmos, temp, minerals or something, instead of posting it in Medical-related stackexchange. I mean, it's Mars, Astronomy stuffs knows better, isn't it?

**Tags:** mars

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is not about Astronomy as defined in the help center  
> **username_2**: No, bacteria can't live on the Mars. If they will be able, probably they will be highly specialized (possibly by DNA modification). Having a randomly selected bacteria, putting to the Mars would result only dead bacteria.  
> **username_3**: You are starting from a false premise. Rust does not cause tetanus, https://www.ndhealth.gov/Publications/prevent/tetanus/tetanus.htm.  Tetanus is caused by a bacteria as mentioned by @username_2-ReinstateMonica  
> **username_4**: A stumble on Mars could be dangerous if your suit gets damaged & starts leaking. The atmospheric pressure on Mars is roughly 1% that of Earth.  
> **username_5**: For the benefit of the asker, there's no special relationship between tetanus and rusty metal. Tetanus lives in the soil and can be on anything that's been in contact with soil. It can infect many types of wounds, but is most likely to infect deep puncture wounds. And the thing most likely to cause deep puncture wounds after having been in contact with soil is sharp metal that's been left outdoors and therefore may be rusty. You could also get tetanus from a pointed stick, but a pointed stick would rot after a while, not lay around for decades waiting for someone to step on it.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-03-25. Score: 6

No. Tetanus [is caused by a soil bacteria](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/). You cannot get tetanus from rusty iron, if that iron has been sterilised.

There are no Earth bacteria on Mars. [As far as we can tell,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars) there is no life of any kind on Mars.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @planetmaker maybe so, so reversing everything...  

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