Rise in Brown Recluse Spider Bites Witnessed

A new finding reveals that a major rise has been witnessed in the number of patients suffering from venomous brown recluse spider bites.

The brown recluse spider, also known as the violin spider, is most common in south and central states of the United States. With six eyes, the spider wears the violin shaped marking on its back and measures between 6-20 mm. They are typically light to medium brown, but the color can vary from cream-colored to dark brown or blackish gray. Their bites go unnoticed as they are usually painless bites. In a new finding, Vanderbilt medical toxicologists highlighted an increase in the number of patients with these spider bites.

According to Tennessee Poison Center Medical Director Donna Seger, these venomous bites heal when left alone, but most of the people frequently apply many treatments before seeking medical advice.

The spider bites have two components - the cutaneous lesions and very rarely systemic symptoms. The syndrome - systemic loxscocelism - consists of brown recluse spider bites along with fever, rash, muscle pain and with or without hemolysis (which is life threatening, especially for children).

"Our recommendations are that all children under 12 with a brown recluse spider bite should have a urine test for the presence of hemoglobin in blood which indicates hemolysis," Seger said. "If the urine is positive for blood and/or the child has other signs of systemic loxsoscelism (rash, fever), the child should be admitted and observed for hemolysis. If the urine dip is negative, and there are no other signs of systemic loxsoscelism, the child should be seen by a physician the next day."

According to the researchers, if adults with the venomous bites do not have rash, fever or muscle pain they wouldn't need to get a urine test done.  

Treating these bites is extremely challenging for the physicians. In cutaneous lesions, if the physicians are familiar with the classic characteristics, they generally remove and cut the lesions. This lowers the healing process and results in disfigurement that wouldn't have had occurred had the lesions been left alone. Anyone experiencing these venomous bites should consider using ice rather than ointments, antibiotics and dapsone.

Seger said, "We don't know why systemic loxsoscelism occurs in some people with a brown recluse spider bite and not in others but it is life-threatening and does require immediate medical attention. Toxin-induced hemolysis can occur very rapidly and therein lies the life threat, especially in children."