The Redback Spider is a highly venomous Australian spider that is identified by its black body and a long red-striped pattern on the back of its abdomen. It is related to the Black Widow Spider that is prevalent in the United States, which it closely resembles in size and appearance, but its bite may be worse. If left untreated, the bite can be lethal. The symptoms of the Redback Spider bite can vary from person to person, but most people who are bitten will suffer a group of symptoms, including localized redness, swelling and tell-tale sweating at the site of the bite, weakness of the muscles, joint stiffening, paralysis, loss of bodily control and convulsions.
Redback Spider's Bite
Only the female Redback Spider wields enough poison to inflict a severe or life-threatening bite; however, most bites on humans are "dry bites" (no poison is administered) because the spider's small fangs don't necessarily puncture the skin on the first attempt. Also, the spider's small fangs may not leave marks on the skin, which makes identifying a victim's ailment very difficult.
Pain and Localized Symptoms
If venom is injected by a female Redback Spider, the victim will suffer a burning sensation or severe pain. Intense pain will be felt a few minutes after the bite. The skin where the bite occured may become red and swell. Although these symptoms can resemble symptoms of other bites and stings, what distinguishes a Redback Spider bite from the bite of another spider, scorpion or venomous animal is the sweating in the area where the bite was inflicted.
Muscle Fatigue, Joint Stiffening and Paralysis
The Redback Spider bite can cause muscle fatigue, the stiffening of joints and even paralysis, which can be attributed to the venom's neurotoxic type. The neurotoxins directly affect the nervous system, attacking the neurotransmitters at the area of the bite, and the effects spread throughout the body, causing muscle fatigue and joint stiffness. If the bite is left untreated, the symptoms worsen and paralysis may come next. In addition to these most common symptoms, some people who are bitten by the Redback Spider may suffer muscle spasms, convulsions, tremors and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
Extreme Sickness
The bite of the Redback Spider causes dizziness and nausea, and one of the body's mechanism for expelling poisons that are introduced into the system is vomiting. Vomiting is a reaction that is initiated at the brain, which is the most important part of the central nervous system. When the spider's venom attacks the nervous system, a signal is sent to alert the brain that a toxin has entered the body, and the fastest way to expel a toxin that may attack the inner organs is by throwing it up before it attacks those organs.
Loss of Coordination
Neurotransmitters carry signals from the nerves to the rest of the body. When the neurotransmitters are attacked by the Redback Spider's venom, the brain can no longer send signals to that part of the body and, therefore, loses control of it. When the venom's effects spread through the body, the brain loses more control, causing the person to appear uncoordinated. Coordination returns and the other symptoms disappear once antivenom is allowed to run its course. No deaths have been reported from a Redback Spider bite after antivenom has been administered.
Tags: Redback Spider, nervous system, Redback Spider bite, effects spread, female Redback, female Redback Spider, left untreated