The poisonous spider genus Loxosceles is on the march in Germany - experts warn of bites that rot human skin.
A teenager loses a finger in Ibiza after being bitten unnoticed while watching the sunset.
A child dies in the USA because doctors do not consider the Loxosceles genus of poisonous spiders in their diagnosis.
Fatal mistakes, because according to researchers, species such as the brown violin spider (Loxosceles rufescens) or brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) will spread due to climate warming and globalization, as
echo24.de
reports.
Probably soon also in Germany.
In contrast to species that have already become native to Germany, such as the house spider or the Nosferatu spider, representatives of the genus Loxosceles neither seek proximity to humans nor do they frighten them with their size.
However, size and offensive appearance are not important for this by no means aggressive species of poisonous spiders.
Rather, the animals prefer dark drawers, crawl in closets, in clothes, hide in bed linen.
And that becomes a problem for people.
spider genus | Loxosceles |
Species previously found in Europe | Loxosceles laeta, Loxosceles rufescens |
spread | Everywhere by procrastination |
bite hazard for humans | Only when the spider is threatened |
Consequences after bite | Skin rotting, possible death |
Poisonous spider genus Loxosceles is coming: After biting, people's skin rots
Spiders of the genus Loxosceles only bite when they feel extremely threatened, crushed.
But that can happen quickly.
When reaching into the drawer, getting dressed or snuggling in the bed linen.
Biting accidents are common in South America.
Because the Chilean angle spider, known as "Araña de rincón chilena", is up to mischief there.
Loxosceles laeta is considered the worst representative of this spider genus and is not without reason one of the five most dangerous eight-legged creatures in the world.
The big problem: The bite of a spider of the Loxosceles species is like a mosquito bite - and in contrast to that of the most dangerous spider in the world, is not initially noticed.
Only hours later, as the "Deutsches Ärzteblatt" writes - because: "The poison contains, in addition to other proteins, the sphingomyelinase D toxin, which can cause skin necrosis or
,
in the worst case, hemolysis with acute kidney failure."
Bite is not fatal, the skin can rot.
Loxosceles spider bites poisonous: people should act quickly and inform a doctor
When people feel they have been bitten by a spider of the invasive Loxosceles genus, prompt action is imperative.
At the same time, those affected in Germany should inform the treating doctor of the possibility of a spider bite, because otherwise the eight-legged danger is not considered important - and misdiagnoses follow.
According to "toxinfo.com", clear symptoms of a mosquito bite caused by Loxosceles bites are:
After two to eight hours:
severe pain, swelling, local cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin), wheal formation, skin necrosis, lymphangitis, cellulitis, edema formation, visible reddening of the skin (erythema).
After 24 to 48 hours:
muscle, joint and bone pain, fever, chills, blistering, central paling of the erythema, onset of irregularly limited to dry necrosis.
The ugly result in many cases: scarring of the tissue.
After two to three days:
acute renal failure due to hemolysis - possible death.
However, according to a new case report, bites from the Loxosceles spider genus can have very different effects on some people than those described.
A 30-year-old man is in hospital with vomiting, muscle pain and a painful lesion in his shoulder.
A 28-year-old woman complains of severe back pain.
According to Livescience.com, both people develop a rare disease in which their immune systems destroy red blood cells.
According to Livescience.com,
"In both cases, doctors noticed that the whites of the patients' eyes were yellowish." Blood tests suggested "warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia."
close – systemic loxoscelism, a body-wide response to the often painless bite of a brown recluse spider.
Patients are then "treated with intravenous fluids and corticosteroids."
Both receive blood transfusions and slowly recover.
Spiders of the genus Loxosceles cause severe damage to humans after venomous bites
Doctors have been warned in countries with a high incidence of the Loxosceles genus.
When Loreto Aravena was bitten by a Chilean angle spider, she documented her ordeal on Instagram.
The Chilean actress said to “publimetro.cl”:
“Eight hours after the bite, I realized what had happened.
I felt a lot of pain in my leg, then the skin changed – first it was red, then purple, then more red, then black, then came the necrosis.”
Her skin rotted.
Check out this post on Instagram
A post shared by Loreto Aravena Soto (@loretoaravena)
Today only a scar reminds Loreto Aravena of the bite of the Chilean angle spider.
Because the doctors in her country are familiar with spiders of the genus Loxosceles - and immediately inject her with corticosteroids and antihistamines.
Further treatments in clinics follow.
The actress does the rest herself, as she now explains to encancha.cl: "Just over a month ago I found ozonated oil and started healing myself with it.
I wanted to avoid transplants - and I succeeded."
Germany braces itself for Loxosceles spiders: "Limit" rotting of the skin after bites
In Germany, the brown violin spider and hermit spider will probably soon cause such cases.
According to experts, it is only a matter of time before more poisonous spiders become native as neozoa due to climate change and globalization.
It is now known that this can happen quickly in this country.
It is not without reason that the “Deutsches Ärzteblatt” refers to a Brazilian study in one of its most recent issues.
Summary: the importance of a timely injection that can limit the extent of skin necrosis after loxosceles bites.
This is loxoscelism caused by poisonous spiders
The so-called loxoscelism, a systemic syndrome induced by spiders of the genus Loxoscels, is usually not observed until 24 to 72 hours after the bite and is rather uncommon.
"MSD Manual" writes: "It occurs more frequently in children and adolescents.
The symptoms can lead to death.”
List of rubrics: © André Mégroz/insects.ch