Black Widow Spider Bites Oakville Senior
Posted August 13, 2009 4:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An Oakville senior remains unable to walk since being bitten by a black widow spider two weeks ago.
Joan Brunet was gardening at her Glen Abbey-area home on July 28, when the spider latched onto her finger and released a clear, whitish venom that almost immediately paralyzed her.
Despite feeling nauseated, losing control of her body and experiencing blurred vision, she managed to call her daughter, who then called an ambulance.
She has since regained the use of her arms and hands, but is still recovering in an Oakville hospital.
Experts say the risk of being bitten by the poisonous black widow females is very low.
“You actually have to touch her or disturb her before she would bite you,” explained the ROM’s Antonia Guidotti. “They’re not aggressive. They’re very shy.”
Although the neurotoxins in their venom can be fatal to small children, the elderly or those with weak immune systems, the spiders are not aggressive and usually only attack humans in self-defense.
In healthy adults, bites may produce swelling, muscle aches, nausea and breathing difficulties.
In the past year, the black widow has also turned up in a Mississauga garage and a Bolton-area cottage.
How to identify a black widow spider:
Unlike other black widow spiders that have an orange hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens, the northern species – likely the type that bit Joan Brunet – has orange triangles on its front and dots on its back.
For symptoms and treatment of black widow bites, click here.
