“Its bite can cause problems but, generally, it doesn’t cause death. For example, the venom of the malmignatta, a relative of the black widow, is much more dangerous because it has a general neurotoxic action “
Rome – “The violin spider is a very shy animal, it is not aggressive. It can however happen to bump into it especially during the summer, with the heat, in domestic environments, inside old houses, behind skirting boards and in wardrobes. Sometimes we find it inside the shoes, if kept in the closets, or between the sheets. However, it is an animal with very reserved habits. Light brown in color and recognizable, thanks to the microscope, due to the characteristic spot on the back. It is a spider that has a toxin that can certainly cause problems, but I exclude that we are facing a killer spider in Italy. “Thus, at the Dire agency, Dr. Ilaria Pascucci, a veterinarian who works at the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche, speaks of the violin spider, a rather small arachnid, about 4-5 centimeters, which has recently made headlines for being held responsible for the death of a 46-year-old girl from Gabicce Mare.
Pascucci, however, calls for caution: “Only the doctors will ascertain this, I believe that the autopsy is still in progress. In reality, everything has yet to be verified. In my opinion it is likely that there was the presence of concomitant causes“.
The expert reiterates that “unless other pathological mechanisms have been triggered from the general point of view, it is difficult to say that the violin spider is a deadly spider. Its bite can cause problems but, generally, does not cause death. For example, the venom of the malmignatta, a relative of the black widow, is much more dangerous because it has a general neurotoxic action. The venom of the violin spider, on the other hand, has a local action. Then, of course, there is always an individual reaction of people to a substance that comes anyway injected“.
Pascucci emphasizes that “in literature there is only one case in which, unfortunately, a person has arrived died following a violin spider bite. But it was a person in whom what is called ‘systemic necrotic arachnidism’ occurred, a particular sensitivity of this person also linked to an underlying pathological condition, which led to massive necrosis of the tissues, triggering a reaction general. Despite the treatment it was not possible to save her and she died within a few days, it was a hyper acute reaction “.
The doctor of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche states that “in most cases the violin spider’s bite hesitates in a small wheal, like that of any insect bite or sting, which often does not lead to particular concern and which is treated with a cortisone-based ointment. The problem is that, on the other hand, a necrotic lesion forms in a part of people who are particularly sensitive to the injected poison. The peculiarity of the venom of the violin spider is precisely that of having a necrotizing action on the tissues. From here an eschar can form, i.e. a necrotic lesion, a darker, bluish area where the venom leads to tissue death. It is a local action, not a general one. “
In the event of a bite there is, unfortunately, only one way to be sure that it is a violin spider. Pascucci announces that “the ideal would be to take the animal and bring it to someone who, like us, has the microscopes that allow observation and correct identification. Many times, however, we have the bite but not the one responsible“.
In all cases it is best to always refer to a doctor. “If you see the appearance of these dark lesions that go into necrosis – he concludes – it is necessary to intervene immediately and deal with a poison control center, although there is no antivenom serum of the violin spider. In the moment in which you are faced with a sting that begins to change appearance, which creates pain, it is a good idea to refer to a doctor e evaluate the hypothesis that there was a bite from a violin spider “.
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