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A warm welcome to the forum, Deepsea. There is a thread on spider bites somewhere. I will alert on of the mods and ask them to attach the link.

That is really bad luck. From what I understand of the bites, antibiotic treatment is essential to prevent infection. My daughter was bitten by a spider earlier this year and it went very nasty. Once on antibiotics, it cleared up. We don't know what kind of spider ist was, but I suspect that it might have been a Violin Spider.

When I was at the Getaway Show in September, there was a company that were advertising a new insect repllant. It could be used on mattrresses. I have been looking for their details, but to no avail if I find it in the next couple of day, I will pm you.

The owner of the company did say that the product was available at certain 4x4 outddor camping shops. I'll also try to find out which one. Someone might be able to help me here. There is an outlet on the William Nicol, in Fourways.

Here you go - Spider bites...

Thanks for the welcome and the link.

A very good friend of mine told us about this new spray, he has an outdoor shop and sells it. He says that it can be sprayed on your clothes as well and stays on for 6 months - very good for mozzies.
I will find out from him what the name of the product is.

I see you guys need pointing in the right direction...

There are very few deaths from spider bites worldwide. Most fatalities and symptoms are due to secondary infection or complications with preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes. In the past 50 years no one has died as a direct result of a spider bite. However, as people can be allergic to bee venom, the same can be true of spider venom (and scorpion venom). In some cases patients display heightened reactions to the venom, not normally experienced.

Badly researched and written newspaper (Beeld: Woman dies from Violin Spider bite) and magazine articles (SA 4x4 Magazine article) perpetuate misinformation and fear. All the emails you get about spiders are hoaxes, please just delete them.

One of the problems experienced with spider bites is that they spider is rarely seen to bite the victim. This results in the majority of patients seeking medical help once the bite sight develops into a lesion. By that time, septicemia has often set in. This is where the complications start. Septicemia coupled with pre-exiting medical conditions are often difficult to control

Violin Spiders - Very few bites in southern Africa annually. Blamed for many bites that are nothing to do with spiders. Public hysteria is rife regarding this spider. Most people have never even seen a Violin Spider.

Sac Spider - Responsible for the majority of spider bites that require medical attention. Bites and symptoms are different from the Violin spider. Once again, septicemia is the problem.

Button Spider - Neurotoxic venom. In order for them to bite, patients have to put their hands in their webs or rub against them. We do not have Black Widows in Southern Africa. We have the Black button spider (4 species) and the Brown Button Spider (2 species). Black button spiders are rare in the urban environment, Brown button spiders are very common.

Treatment - Violin and Sac spider bite treatment should be centered around control of septicemia. Most bites heal by themselves without intervention. If you are diabetic get professional medical help. Keep the bite site sterile. Low doses of Dapsone should be administered as a preventative measure against tissue damage. Antibiotics if septicemia has developed.

Button Spider bites are usually noticed and the spider collected because of the immediate pain at the time of the bite. In extreme cases, patients should be hospitalized and observed for 24 hours. Antivenom (which is cheap in South Africa) is administered in extreme cases. Antivenom should only be administered at a medical facility since most patients experience a allergic reaction ranging from hives, dangerously low blood pressure to shock.

There is a lot more to spider bites, symptoms and treatment. If you rub antibacterial cream on any cytotoxic spider bite you'll be fine. Get professional help if you feel you cannot manage the symptoms. Vacuum pumps, electric shock treatment, milk, petrol, bleeding the bite site and other gadgets do not have any effect whatsoever. Electronic devices sold by some stores do not ward off spiders or scorpions. Education is the key to managing spider bites and scorpion stings. Never use antivenom outside a medical facility.

Hope this helps you guys.

Kind regards
Jonathan

Thanks ScorpionKing. Very interesting and informative post.