- What is the risk of a poisonous spider bite
- What to do when a poisonous spider bites
- Most dangerous poisonous spiders
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Poisonous spiders inspire respect with their appearance, and in people who are more sensitive or suffer from arachnophobia, they can even cause a heart attack. However, it is not the appearance of such a spider that should be feared. A bite by a poisonous exotic arachnid can cause serious he alth problems and even result in death.
Venomous spidersare more and more often the heroes of media reports. Do we really have anything to be afraid of?
The greatest harm we can feel when a spider living in Poland in natural conditions bites us is an allergic reaction. It is true that it can also be dangerous, and in extreme cases it can even cause anaphylactic shock. However, such reactions are rare.
In the vast majority of cases, a bite by our native spider (and most of the exotic) leaves no traces. Unless it is one of the species of poisonous spiders that escaped from home breeding or came to Poland in a box with bananas and was discovered by customers while shopping.
Although the spider usually does not attack by itself, but only defends itself, e.g. when it is crushed or accidentally picked up (with the exception of individuals from the species of tarantulas), situations in which spiders are discovered in Polish supermarkets happen more and more often.
If only for this reason, it is worth knowing which poisonous spiders are the most dangerous and what to do in case of bites.
What is the risk of a poisonous spider bite
While almost every spider produces venom, the good news is that only 3 percent of the spider species known to us today are harmful to humans.
There are three types of spider venom:
- a neurotoxic venom that attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis
- hemolytic venom, damaging red blood cells and blood vessels
- cytotoxic venom, leading to difficult-to-heal wounds, which sometimes even require skin transplants
The venom of some individuals, such as spiders from the familySicarius , share these three features.
Whether the bite will be fatal or cause "only" unpleasant but transient symptoms depends both on which species and on the person it bites - on the effects of the venom and contained inchildren often react more strongly to toxins.
What to do when a poisonous spider bites
A person bitten by a poisonous spider must get to the hospital as soon as possible, where they will receive an antitoxin (anti-venomous serum) - time is crucial here, otherwise the tissues attacked by the toxin from the venom may begin to die, which may even end in amputation limbs.
In such a situation, you should call an ambulance, secure the spider (or at least take a photo of it with a cell phone) - this will help identify the culprit and better choose the treatment.
To delay the absorption of the venom, the bitten person should be placed on the ground (in this position the blood circulation is slower) and give him something warm to drink.
We put a tourniquet on a bitten limb (always above the site of the bite) only if it is impossible to reach the doctor within two hours - after this time, when the limb swells, the wound should be slightly incised, opened, and then aspirate the venom, e.g. with a small glass (or a vessel with a small diameter) warmed up and placed on the skin.
If you come across an exotic spider (e.g. in a banana box in a shop), don't try to kill it, especially since you don't know which species you are dealing with. The spider should be immobilized - closed in a plastic bag, covered with a bucket - so that it cannot escape, and then call for ecopathrol.
Most dangerous poisonous spiders
Among the nearly 40,000 species of spiders that have been classified so far, there are many with which contact can result in serious problems. Here are the most dangerous ones.
- Brazilian Wałęsak( Phoneutria ). It occurs in South America, reaches a length of up to 5 cm (and the distance between its legs can be up to 15 cm). One of his bites can kill an adult. The bite is painful, causes nausea and vomiting, convulsions, cramps, and also swelling at the site of the injection. However, its venom also has valuable properties: in men it can cause a long-lasting (though painful) erection, for which the protein called Tx2-6 in the venom is responsible, which increases blood pressure. Therefore, it is currently being investigated as a potential potency drug.
- Australian bird(podkopnik,Atrax robustus ). He lives in Australia, is large (up to 7 cm in body length), brown-black. Attraction is most active at dusk and at night. Their nets have a characteristic funnel shape - a spider whose prey is at its narrower mouth. It is one of the few species that can chase its prey for a long time. Its jaws can even pierce leather shoes, and vvenoms are substances that attack the nervous system. The bite is often fatal.
- Birdman decorated . It reaches a length of 25 cm with the legs, is beautifully colored and very dangerous - its venom causes very strong contractions.
- Black Widow( Latrodectus mactans ). He lives in the USA, Mexico, Cuba, Hawaii and Bermuda. It is small (about 1 cm in size) and the victim is injected with venom, which is unlikely to kill an adult human (because there is too little of it), but it causes unpleasant symptoms: chest muscle spasms making it difficult to breathe and very painful abdominal muscle spasms, which can persist for up to two days after being bitten.
- Chilean Hermit( Loxosceles laeta ). Occurs in the USA and South America. It grows up to 4 cm, has a characteristic violin-shaped mark on its back, it also has three pairs of eyes. Its venom causes extensive tissue necrosis, which can lead to death.
- Sicarius- spiders from this family live in Africa and South America in desert areas: they reach 5 cm, and their characteristic feature is is that they can survive for up to a year without water. They bury themselves in the sand and suddenly attack the victim. Their venom paralyzes the nervous system, damages red blood cells, and damages the victim's cells and internal organs. May be fatal within 24 hours.
- Latrodectus hasselti- lives in Australia and Asia. Like the black widow, it grows to a small size. There are neurotoxins in his venom. Females usually bite, and their bites are very painful - bites end in muscle spasms, vomiting, and severe pain.