(HealthScoutNews) -- Tetanus, a potentially fatal disease, is less common now than it ever was in the United States. But it is more common, lately, among those under 40 than it is among their elders.

The percentage of young victims of tetanus -- the result of a tiny organism, clostridium tetani, entering the body through a wound -- rose from 28% in the 1991-95 period to 42% between 1996-2000. This shift coincided with an increase in the intravenous use of drugs and from the increase in puncture wounds related to a rise in self-performed body-piercing and tattoos.

The best way to avoid contracting tetanus: Get vaccinated against the disease, and get booster shots at intervals suggested by your doctor, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( news - web sites).