[GRAPHIC] Britain's Most Venomous Spider 'The False Widow' Left A Gaping Hole In Man's Leg - The Coverage

[GRAPHIC] Britain’s Most Venomous Spider ‘The False Widow’ Left A Gaping Hole In Man’s Leg


If you’re staying in Britain, or you’re planning to travel there you might want to read this.

There are spiders called the ‘false widow’ dubbed as Britain’s most deadly spiders. The false widow was first spotted in the UK in Torquay, Devon in 1879, and it is believed to have made its way to Britain’s shores from Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas.

Although the false widow’s bite is not deadly, it can deliver a bite similar to the black widow which can kill within hours. As of now, there are no black widow spiders in any part of Britain.

Black widow

The case of false widow bites came about because of a British soldier who was bitten by the spider, and it left a gaping hole so deep it exposed the man’s muscles.

Meet Matt Clarke, the 31-year-old soldier who has been serving his country for 10 years but never could he expect to be ‘attacked’ in his own bed.

“I’ve been in the Army for ten years, I’ve been all over the world and slept next to more dangerous spiders and never got bit.

“But I got bit in my own bed.”

Clarke said he woke up one day with a ‘tingly sensation’ as he was bitten by the tiny brown spider, but brushed it off his leg and dismissed his injury at first. Just a few days passed, Clarke was in agony when the wound burst open and hot puss came dripping down his leg.

The wound was so big, it left him with a ‘hole he could see his muscles through’ and the pain was unbearable which forced Clarke to go to A&E.

“I just felt this dripping down my leg and it was a painful type of burning sensation. I then checked it out and the bite area had burst open – it was a hole I could see my muscles through.

“I couldn’t understand why the bite wasn’t healing so I tried to find answers. I researched spiders and my symptoms and I realized I had been bitten by a ‘false black widow’.”

Spider experts claim the bite from the false widow which stuck his fangs into Clarke is nothing more than a bee or wasp sting. However, the bite was ‘toxic’ and needs to be monitored for infection.

You can look for our good friend ‘Google’ to know more about how a false widow looks like, but if you ever got bitten, here are some simple steps you can do.

  1. You should wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection.
  2. Do not scratch the wound even if it’s itchy as it may allow more bacteria to get in in the skin broke.
  3. Cover the bites with a plaster and apply an antihistamine sting cream to calm any inflammation or itching.
  4. Redness, pain, or swelling should reduce after 3 days.
  5. Always keep an eye on the wound for any potential sign of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling. Should that continue to get worse a few days later, seek advice from a doctor.

Be safe when you travel around!

(Source: Daily Mail)

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