With the recent epidemic of Australia’s red back spiders located throughout the UAE, Belhoul Speciality Hospital have recently acquired the anti-venom from Australia however Specialist Physician Dr Mohammed Tariq says that in most cases anti-venom is not required.
According to the Australian Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne in Australia, bites which present with milder to moderate pain or with systemic symptoms require anti-venom, otherwise ice packs can be used to relieve only moderate local pain.
The venom produced by a red back spider acts directly on the nerves resulting in release and subsequent depletion of neurotransmitters.
The research unit states that the time course and actual symptoms from bites are highly variable but generally progression of illness is slow and symptoms can persist for weeks after an untreated bite.
Symptoms are can include:
Immediate pain at the site and/or swelling;
Pain progressing to involve the entire limb;
Painful or tender regional lymph nodes;
Sweating, sometimes affecting only the bitten limb initially;
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
Headache;
Migratory arthralgia;
Fever;
Restlessness and insomnia; and
Hypertension.
Dr Tariq says that, understandably, residents of the UAE seem very anxious about this new epidemic however in severe cases once anti-venom is administered there is no need to worry about the result of death.
In fact, there are other spiders from Australia which cause more harm and the symptoms are more severe. The Funnel Web spider found throughout Australia is black, aggressive, six-seven centimeters long with large fangs.
Symptoms including sweating, muscle twitching, severe rapid hypertension, vomiting, airway obstruction, muscle spasms, pulmonary oedema, unconsciousness and wide dilated pupils generally cause death without pressure immobilisation technique.
