Symptoms of redback spider bite
Redback Spiders can be found all over Australia. Redback spiders prefer to build their webs on dry, protected sites. They are often found nearby of human habitation. Redback bites can cause severe illness or even death.
What does a Redback Spider look like?
Redback spiders are usually black, but they can also be brown. Their most distinctive feature is the red or orange stripe at the top of their abdomen.
The male Redback Spiders are typically light brown with yellow or white markings on the abdomen.
The underside of the abdomens of both male and female Redback Spiders has an hourglass-shaped mark. However, the male’s marking is more prominent than the female’s. Redback Spiders that are males grow much smaller than their female cousins. They only reach a small 5mm in length, while the female grows to 1 cm.
Redback Spiders: Where are they found?
Redback spiders are found all over Australia, where there is enough food, shelter, warmth, and water.
Redback Spiders prefer dry, protected sites. They build nests that are funnel-shaped and surrounded by sticky catching strings.
Redback Spiders: How dangerous are they?
Redback spiders are usually retiring and only bite for defence. They are also known to stick to their webs but have been known to take prey from other webs.
Redback Spiders are more aggressive in females than their male counterparts. Because the males’ fangs cannot penetrate human skin, they are the only ones that can harm humans. Redback Spiders are not capable of biting humans, so it is unlikely that a Redback Spider will bite a human unless one their body parts, like a hand, comes in direct contact with a web, or a female.
Redback Spider venom acts directly on nerves, causing neurotransmitter release and depletion. Each year, antivenom is administered to more than 250 Redback Spider victims. Due to the mild symptoms, it is possible that additional cases of envenomation are not reported each year. Redback Spider bites can cause severe illness and even death. However, no deaths have been reported in Australia in the year 1955, which was the first year that antivenom was introduced.
What are the symptoms of Redback Spider Bite?
Redback Spider bites can cause intense pain and redness around the bite site. Redback Spider bites can also cause:
- Sweating.
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Loss of coordination
- Tenderness in the armpits or groins of the affected limb.
- Rapid and shallow breathing
How can you treat a Redback Spider Bite?
- Assure the casualty of an accident and keep them under constant surveillance.
- To reduce pain, apply a cold compress to the area for up to 20 minutes.
- Call Triple Zero (000), if the victim is a child under 8 years old, a pregnant woman or if they are showing signs of deterioration.
- Do NOT use The Pressure Immobilization Technique as the venom moves slowly, and this will only worsen the pain.
It is possible for the bite site to remain reddish and itchy for several days. If symptoms persist after seven days, see your doctor.