Spider bites in
southern Africa
Jonathan Leeming,
T
he subject of spider bite is a rabbit
warren of hoax emails, misinformation,
misconceptions and ignorance. It’s
almost impossible to identify a lesion or
wound as being caused by a spider bite, and at
the same time, it’s is equally impossible to say
that a spider was not involved. Common sense
says that unless you watch the spider bite you,
you must raise the question of if a spider was
the cause at all.
Misdiagnosis of spider bite all over the world
has reached pandemic proportions. In many
instances, people claim to have been bitten
by spiders, despite a distinct lack of any
evidence. The usual reaction is that “It can
only be a spider” or “What else can it be?”
This perception has resulted in mass hysteria,
numerous hoax emails and widespread
misinformation. It’s very strange that people
who work with spiders daily almost never get
bitten by them!
The following should be noted:
The average spider is completely harmless.
• Out of over 2500 named species of spider
in South Africa only about 18 are deemed
medically important.
• Arachnophobia is one of the top 10 mental
disorders in the world.
• Seeing a spider in your house, does not
mean you have been bitten by a spider.
• Although there are some excellent medical
professionals practicing, many general
practitioners still understand very little
about spiders and the effects of their
venom.
• Violin Spider bites are not common
throughout South Africa.
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• The average Internet website is a terrible
source of information on spider bites.
• Most spider bite images on the Internet
are not actually spider bites or even spider
related.
• Bacterial and viral infections are often the
cause of bite-like lesions.
Asking for spider bite advice on Facebook
and Internet groups generally results in the
regurgitation of misinformation, hearsay and
hoaxes.
The 2 common causes of misidentified spider
bite are MRSA infections and diabetic ulcers.
The Plant Protection Research Institute in
Pretoria houses the National Collection of
Arachnida, which includes a database of
over 50 000 spider records dating back to
before 1973. These records are sourced from
scientific research and surveys, with a large
proportion submitted by the general public
from densely populated areas.
It’s interesting to note that of more than 50
000 records, only 131 pertain to Violin Spiders.
This data demonstrates the scarcity of Violin
Spiders in the urban environment.
Research has shown that medical
professionals who practice in areas where
spider bites regularly occur, are better at
recognising the symptoms. In areas where
spider bites are rare, misdiagnosis is more
frequent. For example, Violin Spider bites are
often diagnosed where these spiders are not
known to occur. It is possible, but very rare,
that spiders are brought into an area through
human activities.
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