Spring is slowly but surely creeping towards us and here’s what you need to know about common bites and stings this spring season, courtesy of ER24.
South Africa is home to a rich variety of insects and arachnids and many are found in our homes and gardens. Bees, wasps, scorpions, hornets and spiders can pose a risk, particularly to young children.
• Spiders
If you are bitten by a spider it helps to carefully catch the spider and bring it along to the hospital so that doctors know exactly how to treat the bite or sting.
Spider bites
Fatalities from spider bites in South Africa are extremely rare. The most dangerous spiders in South Africa include black and brown button or widow spiders (Latrodectus species), sac spiders and violin spiders. Button spiders are neurotoxic spiders as their venom causes widespread effects on the nerves and muscles. The latter two are known as cytotoxic spiders because their venom can destroy cells.
While larger spiders such as baboon and rain spiders can attack and bite if threatened, they are not poisonous. If children are bitten by larger spiders, they will require a lot of reassurance and some wound care. It is always good to check the status of your tetanus immunisation after any spider bite, as the spores of the tetanus bacteria may be found in the mouth parts of spiders. If you have not had a booster in the past five years this is a good time to have one.
Black button spider bites
Black and brown widow button spiders are fairly common in homes and particularly in gardens across South Africa.
• Symptoms: Immediate, burning pain that spreads to the lymph nodes within 15 minutes. Generalised and often intense muscular pain and cramps develop within an hour. Anxiety, sweating and a general feeling of weakness also follow. Other symptoms may include rigid muscles, a racing pulse, involuntary movement of the limbs and a flushed face. In one in three cases, there is no detectable bite.
• Treatment: It is important to take victims to a GP or the emergency room if they have any systemic symptoms. Antivenom for these spider bites is available at hospitals, and depending on the severity of symptoms, may be administered in the Emergency Unit in hospital. Other treatments and procedures also include intravenous fluid, performing an ECG and if antivenom is given, being monitored for allergic reactions or side effects to the antivenom itself. The elderly and small children are most at risk of complications. Fortunately, there have been no reported deaths from black button spider bites in South Africa since the 1960s.
Brown button spider bites
• Symptoms: The reaction to a brown button/ widow spider bite is usually milder than the reaction to a black button/ widow spider bite. For adults, this includes a burning sensation at the site of the bite and pain in the regional lymph nodes. The surrounding muscles may feel stiff while the skin presents with a tingling sensation. Some patients experience muscular pain and weakness in the legs and a low-grade fever. Children may present with restlessness and hyperactivity.
• Treatment: A bite is detectable but does not normally require treatment. The reaction, while unpleasant, should clear up within three days. However, small children and the elderly should receive medical observation as a precaution because they may experience more severe symptoms
Cytotoxic spiders
Cytotoxic spiders such as sac and violin spiders are widely distributed in South Africa. Sac spiders are often found in the home and are known to be aggressive while violin spiders are rarely found in urban areas and will tend to hide in crevices.
• Symptoms: Most often the patient is unaware of being bitten although fang marks are often present and a red mark usually appears. The bite becomes painful between 12 and 24 hours later and may develop blisters. Usually, these spider bites heal spontaneously. In rare cases, however, the bite results in systemic illness including fever and malaise between three and five days after the bite. The tissue around the bite may die off and leave a slow-healing ulcer that can take weeks to heal.
• Treatment: Patients should seek medical attention if they suspect that a cytotoxic spider has bitten them. Treatment is usually symptomatic and focused on preventing and treating secondary infections and complications. However, patients will often recover without medical intervention.
If you’re unsure of what to do about a bite or sting, your best option is to call the Poison Information Helpline (0861 555 777) or visit your closest emergency room or GP, especially if the patient is a small child. Home remedies are best avoided unless recommended by your doctor.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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