Swiss prospective  study on spider bites

Markus Gnädinger; Wolfgang Nentwig; Joan Fuchs; Alessandro Ceschi

doi:10.4414/smw.2013.13877

Original article

Vol. 143 No. 3536 (2013)

Swiss prospective study on spider bites

Markus Gnädinger
Wolfgang Nentwig
Joan Fuchs
Alessandro Ceschi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2013.13877
Cite this as:: Swiss Med Wkly. 2013;143:w13877
Published: 25.08.2013

Summary

Knowledge of spider bites in Central Europe derives mainly from anecdotal case presentations; therefore we aimed to collect cases systematically. From June 2011 to November 2012 we prospectively collected 17 cases of alleged spider bites, and together with two spontaneous notifications later on, our database totaled 19 cases. Among them, eight cases could be verified. The causative species were: Cheiracanthium punctorium (3), Zoropsis spinimana (2), Amaurobius ferox, Tegenaria atrica and Malthonica ferruginea (1 each). Clinical presentation was generally mild, with the exception of Cheiracanthium punctorium, and patients recovered fully without sequelae.

In Switzerland, spider bites generally have a benign clinical course, which is characterised by minor effects, with rapid and complete recovery. Since only verified spider bites can be regarded as spider bites, in the case of clinically important arachnidism, the spider should be sent to an expert for identification. Our study may help to diminish spider fear and reassure people who have experienced a bite.

The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01355744).

References

Nentwig W, Blick T, Gloor D, Hänggi A, Kropf C. Araneae – spiders of Europe. 2013; http://www.araneae.unibe.ch.
Maretic Z, Lebez D. Araneism with special reference to Europe. Belgrade: Nolit Publishing; 1979.
Terhivuo J. Novelties to the Finnish spider fauna (Araneae) and notes on species having bitten man. Mem Soc Fauna Flora Fenn. 1993;69:53–6.
Vetter RS, Isbister GK, Bush SP, Boutin LJ. Verified bites by yellow sac spiders (genus Cheiracanthium) in the United States and Australia: where is the necrosis? Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006;74:1043–8.
Isbister GK, Gray MR. Bites by Australian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), including funnel-web spiders (Atracinae) and mouse spiders (Actinopodidae: Missulena spp.). Toxicon. 2004;43:133–40.
Russell FE, Gertsch WJ. Letter to the editor. Toxicon. 1983;21:337–9.
Schenone H. Diagnosticos hechos a 1384 pacientes que consultaron por probable morderdura de arañas o picaduras de insectos. Bol Chil Parasitol. 1996;51:20–7.
Suchard JR. “Spider bite” lesions are usually diagnosed as skin and soft-tissue infections. J Emergency Med. 2011;41:473–81.
Isbister GK, Gray MR. A prospective study of definite spider bites, with expert spider identification. Q J Med. 2002:95:723–31.
Isbister GK, Gray MR. Bites by Australian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), including funnel-web spiders (Atracinae) and mouse spiders (Actinopodidae: Missulena spp.). Toxicon. 2004;43:133–40.
Vassilevski AA, Fedorova IM, Maleeva EE, Korolkova YV, Efimova SS, Samsonova OV et al. Active principle from the yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium punctorium venom is a unique two-domain polypeptide. J Biol Chem. 2010;285:32293–302.
Gaver-Wainwright MM, Zack RS, Foradori MJ, Lavine LC. Misdiagnosis of Spider Bites: Bacterial Associates, Mechanical Pathogen Transfer, and Hemolytic Potential of Venom from the Hobo Spider, Tegenaria agrestis (Araneae: Agelenidae). J Med Entomol. 2011;48(2):382–8.
Ribuffo D, Serratore F, Famiglietti M Greco M, Fois F, Atzori L et al. Upper eyelid necrosis and reconstruction after spider bite: case report and review of the literature. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2012;16:414–7.
Nihei N, Yoshida M, Kaneta H, Shimamura R, Kobayashi M. Analysis of the dispersal pattern of newly introduces Latrodectus hasseltii (Araneae: Theridiadae) in Japan by spider diagram. J Med Entomol. 2004;41(3):269–76.
Vetter RS. Medical myth. West J Med. 2000;173:357–8.
Vetter RS, Cushing PE, Crawford RL, Royce LA. Diagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American states. Toxicon. 2003;42:413–418.
Isbister GK. Spider Bite. Lancet. 2011;378:2039–47.
Nentwig W, Gnädinger M, Fuchs J, Ceschi A. A two year study of verified spider bites in Switzerland and a review of the European spider bite literature. Toxicon. 2013;73:104–10.

How to Cite

1.

Gnädinger M, Nentwig W, Fuchs J, Ceschi A. Swiss prospective study on spider bites. Swiss Med Wkly [Internet]. 2013 Aug. 25 [cited 2024 Apr. 19];143(3536):w13877. Available from: https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1742

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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[1] Nentwig W, Blick T, Gloor D, Hänggi A, Kropf C. Araneae – spiders of Europe. 2013; http://www.araneae.unibe.ch.

[2] Maretic Z, Lebez D. Araneism with special reference to Europe. Belgrade: Nolit Publishing; 1979.

[3] Terhivuo J. Novelties to the Finnish spider fauna (Araneae) and notes on species having bitten man. Mem Soc Fauna Flora Fenn. 1993;69:53–6.

[4] Vetter RS, Isbister GK, Bush SP, Boutin LJ. Verified bites by yellow sac spiders (genus Cheiracanthium) in the United States and Australia: where is the necrosis? Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006;74:1043–8.

[5] Isbister GK, Gray MR. Bites by Australian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), including funnel-web spiders (Atracinae) and mouse spiders (Actinopodidae: Missulena spp.). Toxicon. 2004;43:133–40.

[6] Russell FE, Gertsch WJ. Letter to the editor. Toxicon. 1983;21:337–9.

[7] Schenone H. Diagnosticos hechos a 1384 pacientes que consultaron por probable morderdura de arañas o picaduras de insectos. Bol Chil Parasitol. 1996;51:20–7.

[8] Suchard JR. “Spider bite” lesions are usually diagnosed as skin and soft-tissue infections. J Emergency Med. 2011;41:473–81.

[9] Isbister GK, Gray MR. A prospective study of definite spider bites, with expert spider identification. Q J Med. 2002:95:723–31.

[10] Isbister GK, Gray MR. Bites by Australian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), including funnel-web spiders (Atracinae) and mouse spiders (Actinopodidae: Missulena spp.). Toxicon. 2004;43:133–40.

[11] Vassilevski AA, Fedorova IM, Maleeva EE, Korolkova YV, Efimova SS, Samsonova OV et al. Active principle from the yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium punctorium venom is a unique two-domain polypeptide. J Biol Chem. 2010;285:32293–302.

[12] Gaver-Wainwright MM, Zack RS, Foradori MJ, Lavine LC. Misdiagnosis of Spider Bites: Bacterial Associates, Mechanical Pathogen Transfer, and Hemolytic Potential of Venom from the Hobo Spider, Tegenaria agrestis (Araneae: Agelenidae). J Med Entomol. 2011;48(2):382–8.

[13] Ribuffo D, Serratore F, Famiglietti M Greco M, Fois F, Atzori L et al. Upper eyelid necrosis and reconstruction after spider bite: case report and review of the literature. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2012;16:414–7.

[14] Nihei N, Yoshida M, Kaneta H, Shimamura R, Kobayashi M. Analysis of the dispersal pattern of newly introduces Latrodectus hasseltii (Araneae: Theridiadae) in Japan by spider diagram. J Med Entomol. 2004;41(3):269–76.

[15] Vetter RS. Medical myth. West J Med. 2000;173:357–8.

[16] Vetter RS, Cushing PE, Crawford RL, Royce LA. Diagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American states. Toxicon. 2003;42:413–418.

[17] Isbister GK. Spider Bite. Lancet. 2011;378:2039–47.

[18] Nentwig W, Gnädinger M, Fuchs J, Ceschi A. A two year study of verified spider bites in Switzerland and a review of the European spider bite literature. Toxicon. 2013;73:104–10.