Spiders That May Cause Necrosis With Venom

Many years ago, I worked a second shift job and would routinely relax in front of the TV when I came home. One evening while flipping channels, I came across a program featuring a limbless woman confined to a wheelchair. I thought that perhaps she had injured in an automobile accident, but as I tuned in, it was revealed that she had been bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. I was horrified. The spider’s venom had invaded her body, necessitating the amputation of both arms and legs in order to save her life. Oddly enough, the Brown Recluse was not even a native creature of the area she was from.

According to research, the Brown Recluse and other Loxosceles or “violin” spiders, almost always cause necrosis, or the death of cells and other living tissue in the body. The death of cells and living tissue caused by the bite of a spider is called Arachnogenic necrosis. Necrosis can occur in the skin as well as in tissue of other organs and in some cases can cause death. The Brown Recluse is the most common of the Loxosceles. There are several species of spiders that have been mistakenly identified as necrosis-causing Arachnids. It often difficult to identify which spiders do cause necrosis due often times to the fact that the victim never actually sees the bite-causing spider. Treatment for necrotic bites varies. Usually the first action taken is the “debridement,” or removal of the already-dead tissue.

This promotes the healing of the remaining healthy tissue. In extreme cases, such as the above-mentioned case, it is necessary to amputate certain limbs in order to halt the spread of the venom through the rest of the body. Although approximately 98% of all spiders are harmless and non-venomous, it is the other 2%; however, that continue to cause widespread fear and panic in the general population.