Brown Recluse Spider Bite Photos
Have You Ever Lost a Limb to a Spider Bite?
A bite from a Brown Recluse Spider can cause terrible gangrene and necrosis, and people have lost life and limb before. This concerns me. How common is this? Do you know anyone who has been affected? I live in the tropical wilderness and all kinds of bugs and creatures are always sneaking into my house. Am I just paranoid?
P.S.: Here are some gross photos:
http://www.brown-recluse.com/bitephotos.html
One study by a dermatologist who is considered an expert on the effect of brown recluse bites found that in North America there has NEVER been a single fatality that can be positively linked to the brown recluse.
The vast majority of verifiable brown recluse bites that do occur are mild in severity, and heal completely on their own with no medical attention at all.
Only 13 out of 1000 cases displayed any sign of necrotic tissue destruction, which is primarily redness and swelling around the bite.
The greatest danger with a brown recluse bite (or pretty much any other type of bite by anything) is the potential for infection when the victim scratches the wound with unclean fingernails.
Even if the series above does show an actual brown recluse bite (which cannot be verified), it is likely that the damage caused is through a secondary bacterial infection and not the spider venom.
Although the brown recluse is relatively common in the southeastern United States, it is not an aggressive species, and would be exceedingly unlikely to bite without being provoked. If you’re going to be cleaning up old dusty boxes in the dark, dank basement, you might want to wear gloves, but other than that you are perfectly, completely safe.
Is This a Brown Recluse?
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Brown Recluse Spiders $23 Miss Muffet wasn’t the only little girl who was ever frightened by a spider. Many girls and boys, and even many grown-ups, are afraid of or repulsed by these eight-legged, creepy, crawly creatures. In this Gareth Stevens Imagination Library series readers will be treated to full-color, close-up photographs of some of the world’s poisonous spiders. Easy-to-read text explains what each spider looks like, how it makes its web, hunts for food, and, most importantly, tells all about its bite. Brown Recluse spiders deliver an unmistakable bite that often develops into a large sore. The intriguing facts and colorful photos in this book will help readers know which fiddlebacks to stay away from. |
