Several researchers recommend only evaluating verified bites: those that have an eyewitness to the bite, the spider is brought in, and identified by expert. With "suspected arachnidism" the diagnosis came without a spider positively identified. Africa
Several Latrodectus species (button spiders) live in Africa. South Africa also has six-eyed sand spiders (Hexophthalma species), whose bite may potentially cause skin necrosis. Physicians are advised that the diagnosis may be difficult without a spider. Australia
Bites by the redbacks (Latrodectus hasselti) number a few thousand yearly throughout the country. Antivenom use is frequent but declining. Children may have fewer complications from bites. Funnel web spider bites are few 30–40 per year and 10% requiring intervention. The Sydney funnel web and related species are only on the east coast of Australia. Europe
In Switzerland about ten to one hundred spider bites occur per one million people per year. During epidemics of latrodectism from the European black widow upwards of 150 bites a year were documented. North America
The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that they received calls regarding nearly 10,000 spider bites in 1994. The spiders of most concern in North America are brown recluse spiders, with nearly 1,500 bites in 2013 and black widow spiders with 1,800 bites. The native habitat of brown recluse spiders is in the southern and central United States, as far north as Iowa. Encounters with brown recluse outside this native region are very rare and bites are thought to be suspect. A dozen major complications were reported in 2013.
Rarely, bites may cause widespread symptoms, with occasional fatalities.There are a few spiders that can bite human skin and cause a skin reaction, but spiders are blamed for many more reactions. In particular the misdiagnosis of infections and other skin ailments are commonly attributed to brown recluses. Cause
Spiders do not feed on humans and typically bites occur as a defense mechanism. This can occur from unintentional contact or trapping of the spider. Most spiders have fangs too small to penetrate human skin. Most bites by species large enough for their bites to be noticeable will have no serious medical consequences.Medically significant spider venoms include various combinations and concentrations of necrotic agents, neurotoxins, and pharmacologically active compounds such as serotonin. Worldwide only two spider venoms have impact on humans—those of the widow and recluse spiders. Unlike snake and scorpion envenomation, widow and recluse species bites rarely have fatal consequences. In addition to the widespread widow and recluse spiders, some spider families found exclusively in remote tropical regions have a lethal neurotoxic venom: the wandering spider in Brazil and the funnel web in Australia. However, due to limited contact between these spiders and humans, deaths have always been rare, and since the introduction of anti-venom in Australia, there have been no funnel web related deaths. Pathophysiology
A primary concern of the bite of a spider is the effect of its venom. A spider envenomation occurs whenever a spider injects venom into the skin.