Husband got bit by Brown Recluse on the Breeze! True story!

[NBlewett]

Less than 10% of brown recluse bites will result in necrotic symptoms.

 

That means only 1 in 10 will actually do any amount of destroying the flesh.

 

 

Calm down people. You're scared of the boogey man.

[Jana60]

Well it was either that or the Hobo Spider. The hobo spiders symptoms are more mild. The brown recluse bite causes necrosis of the skin and that is definitely happening to my husbands leg.

 

From what you're saying it took 7 days before that necrosis even begin. That's highly unusual for a brown recluse spider. Also consider that the infection itself can cause necrosis of the flesh which is why they often call MRSA the flesh eating bacteria. Typically you would have developed a small blister at the site of the bite pretty quickly as in within 48 hours with surrounding redness and swelling and then there would be a central dark spot that would progress to an area of tissue death and necrosis. The entire process might take the length of time that you are discussing but it would definitely be a problem requiring dressings way before 10 days! Maybe I have misunderstood the timing of the chain of events you describe.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Jana60

[ScottsSweetie]

How did your doctor diagnose it without seeing the actual spider? I thought that all spider bites looked the same. Is there some other way to know?

 

Well it was either that or the Hobo Spider. The hobo spiders symptoms are more mild. The brown recluse bite causes necrosis of the skin and that is definitely happening to my husbands leg.

 

My DH recently had an issue with some type of insect bite. He started with a small bump on a Friday, right in the area where the elastic would be around the leg of your underwear on the inside of your leg (yes, THAT area).

 

By Monday, he had a cyst-like protuberance not much smaller than a golf ball that was extremely painful. He went to the doctor where it was diagnosed as most likely some type of spider bite that had become infected.

 

He went on antibiotics and had to visit the doctor within the next 10 days for a regular visit - the doctor said that the bacteria tests that he had run were not the bacteria that he had expected to see from a spider bite, but the antibiotic did the trick.

 

All this to say that perhaps when they send bacteria to the lab that is the way of identifying the particular spider or insect? Although in this case the doctor wasn't able to confirm what it was, only what it didn't appear to be.

 

Hope he continues to improve and recover!

[elliair]

The spider could have hitched a ride in boxes brought on board, hard telling where it came from. About the only bug we've had in our cabin was a cricket that hung out on our balcony. It chirped all night long. DH thought I was crazy until he heard it too.

[macfam76]

We are actually from MO. So we maybe even brought it. I told Carnival that. I really was just trying let them know. Just in case.

 

It did "ooze" a little that's why he put the band aid on it.

 

I'm telling you his pain tolerance is really high. I thought he pinky fingerlooked weird today and I asked him about it. He said he dislocated it earlier in the week. I think the bite was bugging him, he just didn't say anything.

 

We thought MRSA also but the Dr was pretty sure it was a spider bite. We will never really know. Which is why I didn't demand our $ back for our cruise. Too much in question!

[crusinpsychRN]

So sorry this happened. One more thing to worry about on a cruise. Hope he heals quickly.

[Thorncroft]

We have a brown recluse apologist in our midst. LOL I wonder where one would go to get a cheerleading degree in brown reclusology?

[cherylvv]

Yikes! I'll be paranoid of spiders on my next cruise.

Edited August 9, 2016 by cherylvv

[elainmir]

I was bitten by one when I was about 14. I had the spot on my leg when I woke up but the pain got worse throughout the day and my leg was swollen tight in those jeans..they had to cut them off. As soon as they saw the wound they immediately said brown recluse. The ick they took out of the wound was NASTY ..I have a tiny purple spot where the bite was that I can't feel anything on...you could poke it , cut it..dead. So glad your hubby is ok!

[wecamp]

Being the ship is out of Galveston and the largest number of cruisers are from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas it likely was in someone's suitcase at sometime. They like dark cold spaces, like closets and floor air vents. A lot of people are bitten when the put on clothes the spiders are hiding in, or shoes. In Oklahoma the common name is fiddleback, the markings on their back.

I thought my bite was a mosquito bite, until I saw the dead spider in my bed. Exterminator found them in our floor vents. I sought medical attention very quickly. Most people wait days thinking it is nothing until it gets bigger and painful, skin starts to die around bite.

Even going to ER right away I had I spot the size of pencil eraser that turned gray, and was on several,drugs for 4 weeks.

[bumbles]

My son was bit by one on a training exercise for the army in SC. His cheek was puffed out so bad and they drained a lot of puss out of it. He was in the hospital for several days and almost missed his graduation from basic training. Thankfully he got out in time but will never live down the name of Pvt. Spider Bite.

 

Glad your husband is OK!

[watermelonqueen99]

I see a couple brown recluse experts have arrived up there. :D:D

 

OP, I wish your DH a speedy recovery! We live in Oklahoma, and I can't even tell you how many BR and black widows we have killed in our house/garage/yard, but fortunately, we've never been bit. My cousin has been bit, though, and she had a huge, necrotic would on her leg that took forever to heal. Contrary to what someone said above, we've seen small ones and we've seen some larger ones. Either way, just eeeek!

[Jana60]

I see a couple brown recluse experts have arrived up there. :D:D

 

OP, I wish your DH a speedy recovery! We live in Oklahoma, and I can't even tell you how many BR and black widows we have killed in our house/garage/yard, but fortunately, we've never been bit. My cousin has been bit, though, and she had a huge, necrotic would on her leg that took forever to heal. Contrary to what someone said above, we've seen small ones and we've seen some larger ones. Either way, just eeeek!

 

I wasn't trying to sound pushy when relaying the usual course and symptoms of brown recluse spider bites but I am a physician in Oklahoma and for the past 26 years I've seen many brown recluse spider bites every year. If someone does get bitten by what they believe might be a brown recluse spider it is better to err on the side of caution and seek treatment early in the course because injecting a short-acting steroid at the site of the bite can, if caught early, prevent the necrosis that the Venom of the brown recluse causes. It is actually the immune system of the person's own body attacking the tissue where the Venom is injected by the spider that causes the tissue destruction so if you can block the immune response at that site you can prevent the necrosis. I have found that if you wait until necrosis is already happening which would be demonstrated by the presence of a darkened area with a central wound at the spider bite site then injection of the steroid is not so helpful.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

We are actually from MO. So we maybe even brought it. I told Carnival that. I really was just trying let them know. Just in case.

 

It did "ooze" a little that's why he put the band aid on it.

 

I'm telling you his pain tolerance is really high. I thought he pinky fingerlooked weird today and I asked him about it. He said he dislocated it earlier in the week. I think the bite was bugging him, he just didn't say anything.

 

We thought MRSA also but the Dr was pretty sure it was a spider bite. We will never really know. Which is why I didn't demand our $ back for our cruise. Too much in question!

 

I live in Missouri and never heard of brown recluse in the state. Lots of tics though.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

I wasn't trying to sound pushy when relaying the usual course and symptoms of brown recluse spider bites but I am a physician in Oklahoma and for the past 26 years I've seen many brown recluse spider bites every year.

 

 

Haven't seen you for a long time, Doctor. I must remember you from another cruise line thread.

[peymas]

I live in IL and we have them here.

[pls5286]

My DD13 was bit by a brown recluse at her dad's. The best we can figure is she laid her bra down on the floor while she slept. The bite was where the back band and shoulder strap meet. It got nasty fast, as we did not realize at first what it was, but when the necrosis started, we took her to the ER. They had to open and drain the bite and there was a staph infection present as well.

 

She missed 3 days of school from this, and since it had a staph infection, she was not allowed PE for the rest of the school year. There was too much of a chance of infecting another child. She got to be score keeper and time keeper for the rest of the school year (it happened in May).

 

Thankfully no one else was infected from the Staph, but I went crazy with Clorox and we wore gloves every time we cleaned it and changed the bandages.

[macfam76]

He goes to the doctor today. If it is not healing correctly they will refer him to wound management. No idea what that means, but we'll see!

Edited August 10, 2016 by macfam76

[Bookbug53]

I am not going to argue with you, and I hope you are RIGHT!!!!

But again, guy I work with was bit by one at this cabin in New Hampshire...

At least the doctor told him that's what it was........

They said they could tell by the fang marks.........

Let's just hope he was wrong.......

 

 

Relax. :)

 

From Wiki:

 

The range lies roughly south of a line from southeastern Nebraska through southern Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana to southwestern Ohio. In the southern states, it is native from central Texas to western Georgia and north to Kentucky. Despite rumors to the contrary, the brown recluse spider has not established itself in California or anywhere outside its native range.

[Port of Tampa]

Wow that is crazy...would not have ever thought that would happen on a cruise ship. Hope your husband heals well.

[MtnDweller]

Relax. :)

 

From Wiki:

 

The range lies roughly south of a line from southeastern Nebraska through southern Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana to southwestern Ohio. In the southern states, it is native from central Texas to western Georgia and north to Kentucky. Despite rumors to the contrary, the brown recluse spider has not established itself in California or anywhere outside its native range.

 

You do realize that Wiki is editable by anyone who has access to the internet, right? Meaning, it's info is often incorrect or badly needing updating.

 

From Wiki:

 

Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers who write without pay. Anyone with internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandalism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with their real identity.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Relax. :)

 

From Wiki:

 

The range lies roughly south of a line from southeastern Nebraska through southern Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana to southwestern Ohio. In the southern states, it is native from central Texas to western Georgia and north to Kentucky. Despite rumors to the contrary, the brown recluse spider has not established itself in California or anywhere outside its native range.

 

Years ago my infant grandson was bit in Arizona. It took a while for the doctors to figure that out since they were on vacation from Chicago.

[Bookbug53]

You do realize that Wiki is editable by anyone who has access to the internet, right? Meaning, it's info is often incorrect or badly needing updating.

 

From Wiki:

 

Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers who write without pay. Anyone with internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandalism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with their real identity.

 

Well I could certainly see people randomly making up facts about brown recluse spiders. It could not possibly be people assembling facts and putting them in a reference material site.

 

How about this one? You know, the science site that says virtually the same thing.

 

http://www.livescience.com/39996-brown-recluse-spiders.html

[blondietink]

Spiders just love water! So, I would expect them on a ship. We have a cottage in northern New York on the St. Lawrence River and we could sweep the outside and inside every day for spiders if we had enough time. There are always new spider webs on the boats every day. but, glad we don't have brown recluse ones here, I hope.

[stargate fan]

They're not in New England.

 

They don't go much north of Missouri

 

They are not native to New England but brown recluse spiders have found their way here, usually carried from other locations. I hear about incidents occasionally on local news stations.