Case 31: Spider bite in London?
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011Author: Dr Ian Stell
This 39 year old demolition worker presented with a very painful swollen hand (shown). He said that the previous day he had been bitten by a spider. He had been working on the demolition of a building, and was sitting on the floor in the attic having a tea break with his team. He said that a large black spider rushed across the floor, bit his right hand, and ran off. There was an immediate, severe pain in the hand; which then swelled overnight, with pain progressing up his arm. He pointed out the bite site (just visible as a red mark between the eye and collar of the bulldog tattoo).
He believed that the house had been occupied by immigrants, and was concerned about a dangerous imported spider as there were ‘many banana skins’ in the attic.
1. Is a spider bite a credible explanation?
Click to see the answerYes, according to the Natural History Museum (NHM) about a dozen species of spider in the UK can give a painful bite.
Click for link. The most likely cause is the ‘Tube Web Spider’. This is a large spider by UK standards, with a body measuring 22mm in length. It is black with a green shine to the mouthparts. It is unusual in that it can be aggressive, unlike most spiders, sometimes advancing and biting rather than hiding.
2. Is any specific therapy indicated?
Click to see the answerNo, all recorded UK spider bites have recovered spontaneously. Antivenoms do exist for some more serious spider bites in Australia and North and South America.
3. Are dangerous spiders imported unintentionally into the UK?
Click to see the answerYes, the tube web spider itself is an import, having arrived over a hundred years ago to South Coast ports and having spread to London and the South-East. Other spiders regularly imported with fruit (eg bananas and grapes) and pot-plants include some species with painful bites, which are detailed on the NHM website. One example, The False Widow Spider, has become established in South West England.