Deaths from Spider (by region) and Deaths from Dog Attacks 1991 - 2001
Remember - It is rare to be bitten by a Black Widow and rarer still to die from it. During this 10 year period dogs killed more people than Black Widows. Having said that, here are some pictures of people suffering from Lactrodectism - the effects of the Black Widow's bite.
A Black Widow bite injects a neurotoxin that is reportedly stronger than a rattlesnake's venom. It will cause extreme discomfort and the symptoms have been reported to last as long as a month.
The bite of the Black Widow may not be noticable, but the symptoms begin to appear after about an hour. Lactrodectus mactans is the syndrome characterized by abdominal cramps and chest pain. These are the symptoms of being bitten by a Black Widow - they have been compared to appendicitis, with muscle cramps, pain and soreness throughout the body, especially sensitive areas like the soles of the feet.
All spiders are venomous. They are not a problem for people either because they cannot penetrate the skin or because the amount or type of venom is easily absorbed by a human.The Black Widow's bite is problematic because of her unusually large (for a spider) venom sacs. The Black Widow can put a lot of venom in the bite.
The Black Widow bite is often confused with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics. Like a Black Widow bite,this staph skin infection causes a swollen, red, and painful spot on the skin.
These are Black Widow bites.
So get the vacuum cleaner out and call the exterminator...and don't leave your shoes, hat, jacket, etc. out by the pool or on the lawn chair where a Widow might crawl into it...really!!
