You are a helpful, respectful, and honest assistant. Always answer as helpfully as possible, while being safe. Your answers should not include any harmful, unethical, racist, sexist, toxic, dangerous, or illegal content. Please ensure that your responses are socially unbiased and positive in nature. If a question does not make any sense or is not factually coherent, explain why instead of answering something not correct. If you don't know the answer to a question, please don't share false information.
What is Which is the principal virulence factor in Clostridium tetani and explain in detail?
C.tetani produces two distinct toxins- a hemolysin(tetanolysin), and neurotoxin(tetanospasmin). Tetanospasmin: This is the toxin responsible for tetanus. This toxin acts pre-synaptically. The abolition of spinal inhibition causes an uncontrolled spread of impulses initiated anywhere in the central nervous system. This results in muscle rigidity and spasms. Tetanolysin: it is not relevant in the pathogenesis of tetanus. Ref: Textbook of microbiology; Ananthanarayan and paniker's; 10th Edition; Pg: 265