Suspicious Spider Bites on LI, NY...Black Flesh Symptoms

Newsday ^ | 6/29/02

[DaughterofEve]

"In what experts say is a rare if not near-impossible occurrence on Long Island, at least three people have been diagnosed with brown recluse spider bites this week." "The clustering of three or four cases in one week left many skeptical."

[hellinahandcart]

A friend of mine in Ohio was bitten by one of these things, in the late seventies. Her brother had unwittingly brought it home from college in his suitcase, just in time for Christmas (which she spent in the hospital, where the doctors spent a great deal of time trying to figure out what the hell could have bitten her like that). It was extremely painful. I don't know where they get this "six to eight week" healing period business. It took about that long just for the swelling to go down in her case. Her wound, on her upper arm, was about five inches across at its worst point, but five years later she still had a nasty-looking scar the size of a silver dollar. It might be down to the size of a quarter by now.

There are worse things out there than cutaneous anthrax. If I had to choose between that and a brown recluse spider bite, I would definitely pick anthrax.

[Twodees]

Wonder if the attempt by some to protect spiders is at the root of the misconception that there are only two venemous spider species in the US? Actually, there are several types of widow spiders which are venemous as well as more than one type of recluse spider.

The map showing a small range for Brown Recluse isn't accurate. They are in Virginia and the Carolinas. I've been bitten by one and I live in the part of central Virginia called Southside.

[savedbygrace]

Years ago I was bitten by a Brown Recluse and did a little research to find out what I was facing.

In the 80s, I think, a researcher at Arizona U, in Tucson, noticed that there was nothing in the medical literature about the progression of symptoms following Recluse bites. So, being a researcher, he proceeded to try to make a Brown Recluse bite him, so he could record the changes, etc.

He wrote that it took forever to get the spider to bite him, and he had to antagonize the little beastie a lot, poking it and threatening it, before it finally clamped down. (They earned the name, Recluse, apparently,)

Researchers.

[2sheep]

There are apparently a lot of misconceptions about spiders. I've never heard of the Hobo Spider ex-Texan linked in #47. The author of the link in #39 talks of people who turned in to the University many types of spiders which they thought were Brown Recluse, none of which were. Some were male Black Widow spiders which are not black but brown. Some weren't even spiders. There are some nasty things that creep, including centipedes and scorpions as well. When we drove through Texas we saw a Tarantula on the road that seemed big enough to have its own crossing. We were told also of a Chickensnake, i.e. a snake big enough to eat a chicken.

[knuthom]

I don't think that map is accurate. My son got bitten by a brown recluse when we lived in Michigan, more than 10 years ago. I expect that they travel easily because they like to hide packing boxes and the piles of junk stored in garages. Any moving van from a state where they are native is a potential carrier.

My dog was bitten in Missouri where we now live. It was very nasty. The vet had to anaesthetize her to cut away all the dead tissue. It eventually healed, but she still has a bald spot where no hair grows.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

He is an idiot. The Brown Recluse does live in California. We personally know a woman who was biten. Lost a hell of a lot of flesh off of her leg.

[Mamzelle]

Tell me about the map you have posted...are these the areas where the recluse is common? What do the two different colorings mean?

[thescourged1]

Ahhh...So that is what that little ugly is called. 20 years ago, I found one hiding in a corner of my bedroom. How he got there, I have no idea. This was in Northern NV.

[4Freedom]

Any chance of these critters migrating to Chappaqua? Just a little wishful thinking, I guess.

[willyone]

These babies jump too and can cover alot of ground real fast. Plus they have a set of jaws that are awesome. Even without the poison you do not want to get bite. I had one in a jar and put a pencil down by it. When it bit the pencil you could feel the force through the pencil. Ouch!

[willyone]

A scorpion sting is also fun. I stepped on one in the yard walking barefoot one night. Wow! Hard to get your shoe on for a few days. But compared to a recluse not bad. By the way the old fifties movie Tarantula is on AMC right now. Look for Clint Eastwood in one of his first bit roles.

[willyone]

There are some things even lab rats and recluse spiders will not do. You just mentioned one of them.

[TADSLOS]

My wife was bitten by a spider (presumably a brown recluse) while sleeping in bed about 2 months ago. It bit her on the outside corner of her left eye, swelling her eye shut for a couple of weeks and making a black, baseball sized bruise mark, that has just recently healed leaving a small, deep scar. It looked pretty ugly, requiring a hospital visit and medication. I got a lot of mean stares from people for awhile, because it looked like she had been punched in the face.

Just this week, she saw a three inch long scorpion making its way up my sock as I was sitting on the couch. I never felt it, but quickly brushed it away without getting stung (I'm allergic) and killed it with my shoe. Ah, Texas in the summer....

[concerned about politics]

It is extremely important, therefore, to get medical attention as soon as possible. Although no specific antidote is available, prompt medical treatment can prevent severe reactions and lesson the long-range effects.

In case of emergency.....Back in the '30s, they used tincture of creasole on these bites. A mix of alchohol (vodka, wisky,gin, or rubbing alchohol) and tar from fire places (even cigaretts or bongs (lol) would work). The alchohol breaks down the tar and creates a brown liquid that's spread on the bite. Repeat often.

[jordan8]

I was bitten by a brown recluse when I were a lad. My sister has been bitten twice. Not that big a deal if you are older than a small child. It raised a half-hens egg sized lump on my arm that had a volcano-like crater in the center that lasted a good while and oozed really cool pus when you squeezed it.

[NautiNurse]

Sounds like a good time to get the house tented!

[4Freedom]

That reminds me of an old joke.

What do you get when you cross a pig and a lawyer?

Nothing.

There are some things even a pig won't do.

I guess we can add spiders and snakes to that list.

LOL!

[4Freedom]

I forgot to put lab rats on that list.

[Wednesday's Child]

From the Newsday article:John T. Mather Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Marlene Israel said three people were being treated in a pressurized-oxygen chamber as out-patients for what doctors believe are spider bites.
I see in a few posts where people who were bitten went to the doctor and were put on antibiotics. Wondering why these people were put in the oxygen chamber ( which I believe is for the bends)? Just to lessen the skin damage? Or for some other reason?

[discostu]

They're really pretty. And mellow. If you're very patient (and enjoy playing with fire) you can pick them up and pet them. But I'd recommend practicing with less dangerous spiders first.