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Diagnosing the
bite of a brown recluse merely from the presence of a wound or
ulcerating sore is impossible. Many medical conditions, some of
which are far more common than spider bites even where recluses are
common, can create an open sore, "rotting flesh," a blister and redness,
etc. Therefore, although you may have had a doctor diagnose your dermonecrosis (literally "dying skin") as caused by a spider bite, or even a brown recluse bite,
be aware that doctors throughout the United States have diagnosed "brown
recluse bite" as the cause of wounds even in states where a brown recluse has
never been collected.
To confirm a
diagnosis as even a possible recluse bite, the presence of the
spider in the area frequented by the victim must be established. For
certainty, the spider suspected of causing the bite should be killed
and brought to the doctor with the victim. Often, this is not
possible, but where there is one spider, generally there are more and it
should not be difficult to capture some by placing a few sticky traps in
the area. If traps do not produce any brown recluses (we can
confirm an identification for you -- see "Mailing Spiders"),
or you live outside of the normal range of the brown recluse, it is extremely unlikely your
condition is the result of a brown recluse bite. You and your
doctor should seriously consider other possible causes so you can get
proper treatment. Some other causes of dermonecrosis can be very serious
medical conditions that will require specific treatment to cure. One of
the more common causes of dermonecrosis is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is resistant to common
antibiotics. A 2006 study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Moran
et al.) reports that nearly 30% of patients later documented to have
MRSA initially reported that they suspected a spider bite. For a detailed discussion of this issue and
other possible causes of dermonecrotic wounds, please follow the link
below.
Other Causes of Dermonecrotic
Wounds ("rotting flesh")
Read more about
other possible causes of dermonecrosis
(not caused
by spider bite): |
