🕷Vol. 9: Spider bite
🌎🇬🇷2️⃣☢️Spiders are arthropods. More than 38,000 species have been recorded worldwide, and most of them are not venomous to humans. In Greece, there are 3 potentially dangerous species. These are the Mediterranean black widow (Latrodectus mactans or more precisely Tredecimguttatus) and the Recluse spider (Loxosceles), whose venom contains toxins that are quite dangerous to the human body.
👀🟡There is also the so-called wolf spider (genus Lycosa), whose venom is normally not so toxic to humans. These spiders are the “distant cousins of tarantulas that live in Greece”, are medium-sized, usually dark brown, have hairy bodies, and move very quickly, but largely avoid humans.
⚫️🔴🧪The black widow in Greece has a characteristic black shiny body with red spots on its dorsal abdomen. The typical bite causes a mild whitish reaction surrounded by redness (image 2). The syndrome that may develop is called Latrodectism and appears about half an hour to 2 hours after the bite. Some of the main symptoms are sweating, salivation, tearing, abdominal pain, headache, vomiting, tachycardia, facial swelling, involuntary muscle contractions, and spasms. In our country, an antivenom for its toxin is available in the form of spider antiserum.
🟤⚠️☣️The Recluse spider is brown with thin and long legs. Although bite incidents are rare, they are particularly dangerous. Its venom is even more toxic than the previous case. In Greece, there is still no available antivenom for its toxin (latest update 2025). Typical bite cause a severe skin reaction that persists and evolves over time. From the center outwards, it presents in three circular zones: necrosis (black), ischemia (a shade of purple), and redness (due to sensitive content, an early-stage lesion is shown in image 3). Loxoscelism is an even more dangerous syndrome. Its main manifestations include headache, fever, vomiting, acute kidney injury, blood disorders, hypotension, and seizures.
🤔So what should we do if we suspect a spider bite?
🩹🚰🧑⚕️📱📷We immediately try to see the spider clearly so that we can describe it. Ideally, we photograph it. Stay calm. Rinse with plenty of water, soap, and povidone-iodine. Seek medical help immediately, especially if the spider was not seen or you suspect it is one of the dangerous ones. Remain alert for the next few hours. If it is not one of the two dangerous species, topical measures and antibiotics (topical or oral) may be needed, in the worst-case scenario. In the other two cases, close monitoring, specialized hospital care and a series of therapeutic interventions are required.
📖Reference
https://www.scribd.com/.../%CE%98%CE%95%CE%A1%CE%91%CE%A0...