British Holidaymaker In Spain Will Need Fingers Amputated After Being Bitten By Spider
Spain News
Published: 09 August 2021 14:49 CET
A 19-year old British teenager will have to have two fingers amputated after he was bitten by a spider while on holiday in Ibiza, Spain.
The youth who has since returned home to Wales spent around two weeks in Spain and underwent medical testing to establish the cause of the swelling to his right hand.
Spanish medics have now said that the Brit was bitten by a poisonous and potentially deadly brown recluse spider.
The teen told local paper Diario de Ibiza that he was watching the sunset while sitting on steps at the beach in the popular resort of San Antonio when he felt something bite him.
"I sat on some steps and felt something had stung me but I didn’t think anything of it.
“I woke up at 5am the following morning because my hand was burning and was swelling up.”
The teenager then made his way to a local health centre where he was administered with an injection, however, this failed to help so he was taken to the nearby Can Misses Hospital.
"I began to panic because my hands were turning more and more purple and the doctors told me they had never seen anything like it.”
After being put on a drip and following extensive testing, the young man was told that he had been bitten by a brown recluse spider.
The brown recluse spider is venomous and you should seek medical attention immediately if you believe you have been bitten by one. Bites from the species are uncommon, however, if left untreated, they can result in necrosis and lead to gangrene.
Now back home in Wales, the teen will need to have surgery to have two of his fingers and part of another removed.
He said: “Millions of people go to the same place every year to see the sunset and nothing ever happened to them before me.”
Dangerous Spiders In Spain
Although Spain is thought to be home to around 1,700 different species of spider, there are only thought to be four that are potentially fatal to humans which are the Black Widow, the Mediterranean Tarantula, the Mediterranean Funnel Web and the Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa).
Brown recluse spiders are also known as ‘fiddle-backs’ or ‘violin spiders’ due to the violin shape on their backs. They are commonly found in North America and can grow to between 6 and 20 mm.
Bites from the brown recluse are extremely rare and only usually occur when their nests are disturbed, when they get tangled in clothing or bedding or when they feel threatened.
If bitten, the wound can turn into a blister with a red centre, although it can take a few hours to appear and cause discomfort.
If you are bitten by a brown recluse or any other spider, always seek medical attention.
Source
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brit-tourist-19-bitten-spider-24717498
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9875965/British-teenager-two-fingers-amputated-bitten-spider-beach-Ibiza.html
https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1474228/Spain-holidays-ibiza-spider-bite-finger-beach-san-antonio-warning
