I cannot count the number of times spider experts have told me that spiders are nothing to fear, and spiders will not bite you unless you provoke them, and, of course, spider bites are harmless, the vast majority of them anyway. But the news is full of stories telling about the severe consequences of spider bites. One such story involves a man who was hospitalized for days after he was bit by a little spider. It must be taken into account that the fall of 2016 is a special time for spiders since overwintering has led to an increase in spider populations.
A man recently developed viral meningitis in response to a spider bite that he only saw scuttle away from his foot. The man stressed that the spider was unremarkable looking and it just looked like a typical house spider at around five cm in length. After checking himself into to the hospital, the doctors took note of his swollen and blistered foot, and tests revealed that his reported muscle aches and general weakness was the result of a false widow spider bite. The doctors believe that the spider bite lowered his immune functioning allowing the viral meningitis to take hold. So, no matter how harmless a spider may look to you, if you know you were bit then be safe and visit the doc and call and exterminator. Be safe!
Have you ever developed either a bacterial or viral infection after falling victim to a spider bite?
