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Toxinology Emergencies
Published in Anthony FT Brown, Michael D Cadogan, Emergency Medicine, 2020
Anthony FT Brown, Michael D Cadogan
Latrodectus species includes the red-back (Australia), the black widow (America), and the katipo (New Zealand) spiders. Envenomation is by the female. Clinical features of latrodectism include: Local pain, erythema, sweating, lymphadenopathy and piloerection.Systemic features such as headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, generalized sweating and hypotension.
Clinical Toxicology of Spider Bites
Published in Jürg Meier, Julian White, Handbook of: Clinical Toxicology of Animal Venoms and Poisons, 2017
Julian White, J.L. Cardoso, Hui Wen Fan
If the above criteria are met then the case reports have validity. There are some partial exceptions to the above. Most important of these is distinctive symptomatology for the bite of a particular species, notably the widow spiders (latrodectism). These spiders have been well documented as causing a particular set of symptoms and signs which are distinctive and do not appear to be caused by other types of spiders. For epidemiological purposes it seems reasonable to accept series of cases which meet the clinical criteria for latrodectism, even if all the above criteria are not met by each case in the series. Similarly for loxoscelism, case series are often accepted where the criteria for entry are clinical symptoms and signs, without necessarily having a clearly identified spider culprit in every case. For loxoscelism this may not be entirely valid, as it is now accepted that some other sympatric species of spiders have the potential to cause similar skin damage in humans.
Bites by the noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis can induce Latrodectus-like symptoms and vector-borne bacterial infections with implications for public health: a case series
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2022
John P. Dunbar, Aiste Vitkauskaite, Derek T. O’Keeffe, Antoine Fort, Ronan Sulpice, Michel M. Dugon
The Noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis originates from the Macaronesian archipelago and has recently expanded its range throughout Europe including Ireland and Great Britain [1–5], Western Asia (Turkey and Iran) [6,7], North America [8,9] and South America [1,10–14]. In contrast to the forest habitat of Madeira [15], outside of its native range S. nobilis establishes in synanthropic habitats where close contact with humans is unavoidable [1,2,4]. Consequently, eight cases of envenomation have previously been reported in the scientific literature: three in Ireland [16], three in Great Britain [16,17], and two in Chile [10,12]. There is also one unconfirmed case from Columbia, where the species is now established [13]. The first case reported in 1991 described symptoms of local and systemic neurotoxicity similar to a mild form of Latrodectism (spectrum of symptoms of Latrodectus envenomations) [17]. The authors warned of the potential medical importance of S. nobilis and called for further research on this species.
Black widow spider bite in Johannesburg
Published in Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2018
Teressa Sumy Thomas, Alan Kemp, Kim Pieton Roberg
Clinical features may be difficult to recognise and a high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis. A bite mark is unusual and is found in less than 30% of cases. It is typical to find redness and local inflammation around the bite site, if found. Suspicion of a spider bite is thus dependant on features of latrodectism, which include typical symptoms such as a burning pain at the bite site which immediately spreads to the regional lymph nodes and then leads to generalised muscle cramps within an hour.2 Increased muscle tone can be evident clinically. This increased tone may be interpreted as a tightness in the chest with difficulty in breathing, board-like abdominal rigidity mimicking an acute abdomen, difficulty in walking or the presence of an erection.1 Nausea and vomiting may occur. Vitals signs may reveal a raised blood pressure, heart rate and temperature with sweating, anxiety and flushing (usually facial and periorbitally). Envenomation can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Mild includes local pain and redness at the site only, moderate being local cramping and sweating in the extremity involved and severe being systemic symptoms with tachycardia and high blood pressure.4
Envenomation by the noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) – five new cases of steatodism from Ireland and Great Britain
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2018
John P. Dunbar, Sam Afoullouss, Ronan Sulpice, Michel M. Dugon
The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) (Figure 1(A)) has been involved in the only case of systemic araneism reported in Ireland and Great Britain [1]. As such, it is the only known medically significant spider established in these islands. Envenomations by S. nobilis (steatodism) have been described as “far more severe than a bee or a wasp sting” with symptoms similar (albeit less severe) to envenomations by true black widows of the genus Latrodectus (latrodectism). Steatodism include intense pain, diaphoresis, piloerection, facial flushing, raised temperature and general discomfort lasting several hours [1–3]. Additional claims of toxic shock, dermal necrosis and subcutaneous haematoma have never been confirmed. Envenomations by Steatoda nobilis are therefore referred to as of moderate medical importance, but have become a major concern for members of the public since the rapid spread of the species in heavily urbanised areas globally [4]. In this report, we present and describe five new cases of envenomations by Steatoda nobilis from Ireland and Great Britain.