How Poisonous Is a Brown Recluse Spider?

The brown recluse spider or violin spider has an extremely venomous spider bite. But how poisonous is it? Find out here.

The brown recluse spider, also known as the violin spider, has an extremely venomous spider bite. Recluse spiders prefer dry places that’s why they spin build their webs in closets, cellars, woodpiles and sheds. However, these spiders may wander to other places that are usually undisturbed so it’s always good to be cautious.

Recent news on Yahoo! reported about a vacationing Italian woman in her 20s who was bitten by a Mediterranean brown recluse spider. The spider bite caused her ear to be disfigured known as “sunken ear”. It may sound improbable but no one really can tell to what degree a recluse spider bite can affect its victim. The condition is a proof that a brown recluse spider bite can cause dead tissues. Specifically, the venomous bite of the Mediterranean brown recluse is known to emit a poison that can kill skin and fat and other substances that helps in breaking down protein.

Here is an excerpt from the news:

“Venom from recluse spiders, including the American brown recluse and its Mediterranean cousin, kills skin and fat with a mixture of chemicals, including substances that break down proteins. The complex nature of the venom makes the bites hard to treat, van Wijk said. A drug called Dapsone has been used, but there is no proof that it works to treat these bites, she added.

Therefore, the recommended treatments for these spider bites are icepacks and painkillers, van Wijk told LiveScience. In this case, van Wijk and her colleagues removed the dead tissue, and recreated it using cartilage from the woman’s ribs.”

In order to restore the ear, the case was referred to a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

In many cases, spider bites aren’t really that dangerous. Spiders bite not to poison but as their self-defense when threatened. However, when you start developing some painful symptoms from a spider bite, then the culprit might be a brown recluse spider. Immediately bring your concern to your doctor for spider bite treatment.

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