Inspi(red)

(sorry this pic is blurry...I took it on my cell phone)

Ok...Yes this is disgusting but it needs to be told...

This is one of our customers...over Memorial Day (yeah...here it is 2 months later and look at how red and blistery it still is!) he was bitten by "something". He went to Urgent Care and they gave him a shot in the bum and some antibiotics and stinkin sent him home...the next day at work he started getting sicker...his boss freaked out when he saw that the redness had traveled up his arm almost to his shoulder so he sent him to the ER.

The ER doctor said that if he hadn't come in when he did he would have been DEAD!!!

He was bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider!!

Here's some info I found on these dangerous things...

It's NOT a Brown Recluse IF any of the following are true:

1) It's really BIG:
A spider's body is in two main parts. The size of the body, not including legs, of a recluse is smaller than a dime.

2) It's really HAIRY:
Brown recluses have only very fine hairs that are invisible to the naked eye.

3) It JUMPS:
Jumping spiders live up to their name, and some other spiders including wolf spiders occasionally jump, but recluses don't.

4) I found it in a WEB
Brown recluses don't spin a web to catch prey; they spin silk retreats and egg cases, but don't form a typical recognizable web.

5) It has DISTINCT MARKINGS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, such as stripes, diamonds, chevrons, spots, etc. that are easily seen.
Brown recluses have no markings on their legs or abdomen (the largest part of the spider's body). The "violin" is very small and located on the front half of the body. The violin is also indistinct in some, especially young spiders. They're really rather dull looking.

DIAGNOSIS

"The severity of a person's reaction to the bite (from brown recluse) depends on the amount of venom injected and individual sensitivity to it. Bite effects may be nothing at all, immediate or delayed. Some may not be aware of the bite for 2 to 8 hours, whereas others feel a stinging sensation usually followed by intense pain if there is a severe reaction. A small white blister usually rises at the bite site surrounded by a large congested swollen area. Within 24-36 hours, a systemic reaction may occur with the victim characterized by restlessness, fever, chills, nausea, weakness and joint pain. The affected area enlarges, becomes inflamed, and the tissue is hard to touch. The spider's venom contains an enzyme that destroys cell membranes in the wound area with affected tissue gradually sloughing away, exposing underlying tissues. Within 24 hours, the bite site can erupt into a"volcano lesion" (a hole in the flesh due to damaged, gangrenous tissue)."

TREATMENT

A typical reaction to the recluse bite is the decay (necrosis) of the flesh at the bite site. The victim may have an immediate painful reaction, or may not become aware of being bitten for 2-3 hours. When the reaction is immediate, a stinging sensation is usually followed by intense throbbing pain.

In both cases, a small bleb or blister usually arises and the area surrounding the bite becomes congested and swollen. Later reactions include restlessness, feverishness, and difficulty sleeping. The pain is likely to be quite intense, and the area surrounding the bite very sensitive to touch for some time.

There is no antivenom for the recluse's bite. However, its venom, a mixture of enzymes which rapidly destroys both tissue cells and blood cells, appears to be self-limiting in that its ability to destroy cells eventually seems to decrease and cease altogether.

In many cases the flesh in and around the bite sloughs away, gradually exposing underlying muscle tissue (necrosis). Then as the wound heals, the edges thicken and the central area becomes filled with dense scar tissue. Healing is slow, sometimes taking between 6 and 8 weeks. The resulting scar resembles a hole scooped from the body and may range from the size of a penny to half-dollar.

This necrotic process is typical of most bites of the brown recluse. In many cases, the necrosis is so minuscule (usually due to only partial envenomation) that the bite goes unreported and heals on its own. If at all possible, it is recommended that the offending insect be captured and brought to the treating physician for identification.

In some extreme cases a general systemic reaction occurs, usually as the result of complete envenomation by the spider, which can, in rare cases, lead to death. People in poor general health, young children and older people are more apt to have a serious reaction to the recluse's bite.

I'm sure you've seen the e-mail flyin around showing a guys thumb after being bitten...
I seriously thought it was a joke but it's not!

...and everyone wonders why I hate spiders so much!!!