Numerology 

The Karakurt spider is dangerous for outdoor recreationists. What does a karakurt spider look like? Karakurt bite: what is dangerous, first aid, symptoms and treatment features Antidote for karakurt bite

Karakurt – poisonous spider. But only the bite of a female is dangerous to human health. Its venom is neurotoxic and causes intense release of acetylcholine at various neuromuscular synapses, as well as at the synapses of the central nervous system. TO fatal outcome it will not lead if the victim knows what symptoms appear with a karakurt bite and seeks medical help in time.

The first symptoms of a karakurt bite

The bite of the karakurt is not painful. In most cases, it is perceived as a needle prick or is not even felt. The local reaction to the spider's venom is also absent or very weakly expressed - the skin in the area of ​​the bite may be slightly pale. Most often, there are no local changes and it is difficult to find the bite site. Due to the mild pain of the bite, many victims (especially those who were bitten during sleep) do not associate their sudden poor health with the bite poisonous insect and go to a medical facility only after general manifestations of intoxication.

The first general toxic signs of a karakurt bite appear quickly, after about 5 minutes, and progress very rapidly. These include:

  • burning pain at the site of the bite;
  • pain in;
  • pain radiating to the joints of the legs;
  • dizziness.

The severity of pain varies from relatively mild to extremely severe. It all depends on the toxicity of the poison. If the poisoning is severe, after a karakurt bite, symptoms such as:

  • excruciating muscle pain (can be combined with paresthesia in the lower back, abdomen or chest);
  • nervous excitement;
  • pronounced fear of death;
  • pale skin;
  • lacrimation.

Signs of a karakurt bite

If the patient is not given first aid, soon after the karakurt bite other symptoms begin to develop. The victim develops muscle weakness. It is especially pronounced in lower limbs, as a result of which a person has difficulty moving or cannot stand on his feet at all. Drawing and aching pains of different localization can be combined with severe muscle tension. Very often the abdominal muscles are very tense. Signs of a karakurt bite include dry tongue, severe leukocytosis, intestinal paresis and increased temperature. All of them imitate the picture of an acute abdomen, which is why there are cases of erroneous surgical intervention in cases of poisoning by the venom of this type of spider.

Many victims also experience nausea and vomiting, tension, and severe muscle dysfunction in the limbs or back. If treatment is not provided at this stage, the following may occur:

  • positive Kernig syndrome;
  • sphincter spasm;
  • tremor or convulsive twitching of the neck muscles;
  • dysfunction of the respiratory muscles;
  • increase in blood pressure.
Symptoms of extremely severe poisoning

In severe cases, other symptoms of a karakurt spider bite occur. The victim's excitement gives way to apathy and depression. He experiences confusion (in some cases with psychotic reactions) and progressive shortness of breath (wheezing, crepitus, frothy sputum).

Most people bitten develop a rose-colored rash on the skin. The acute phase of intoxication is also characterized by the phenomenon of layering of pain of different localization and nature on top of each other. This condition is complicated by a strong feeling of fear, tension in various muscle groups and sharp muscle weakness. Disorders of peristalsis or urination may also occur.

In mild forms of poisoning after a karakurt bite, the painful phenomena are completely relieved by the end of the first day. If the poison has severely affected the body, the victim may feel pain for 3-4 days.

In the summer, one of the most active dangerous spiders Karakurt or Black Widow(black widow).
Found in the desert zone of Kazakhstan, in the steppes Astrakhan areas, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, along the banks Mediterranean Sea and Yenisei, in North Africa, Southern Europe and in the south of Ukraine (Crimea and the Black Sea region), on my balcony (found a couple of years ago).

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A WIDOW'S BITE. It is impossible not to notice the bite: pain immediately sets in at the site of the bite, as if pricked by a thorn; within 10-15 minutes it intensifies and spreads to the stomach, lower back and chest.
The poison spreads through the lymphatic system instantly. It penetrates not under the skin, but into muscle tissue.
The bitten person's legs go numb, his head is dizzy and hurts, he becomes mentally agitated, and fear of death appears. His face turns blue and his pulse slows. Convulsions and vomiting may occur. Without treatment, the victim may die within 2-3 days. If a person survives, then for 3-5 days severe pain deprives him of sleep, and weakness does not go away for even longer than a month. Therefore, after a karakurt bite, the first thing you need to do is call an ambulance (in the hospital the victim should be injected with anti-karakurt serum - this is the most effective treatment from “black widow” bites), and at the same time, until the doctors arrived, to provide first aid. The most effective treatment is the administration of anticarcourt serum.

An antidote serum against a Karakurt bite can be much more dangerous than the spider bite itself. The fact is that the complications that arise when the serum is administered are fraught with very serious consequences. These are various allergic and, God forbid, anaphylactic reactions. Up to anaphylactic shock. And right up to the lightning-fast form, when split seconds decide. Even in medical institutions, with the fulminant form of anaphylactic shock, it is very, very difficult to cope with this.
For lack of serum you can save yourself by using other drugs: it gives good results intravenous administration of novocaine, calcium chloride and magnesium hydrogen sulfate.
Once again I am convinced that calcium chloride must be in a survivalist’s first aid kit.

WHAT PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN DURING YOUR VACATION
Nobody has been working on the problem of poisoning spider population centers for a long time. Therefore, all vacationers and residents steppe zone the rules must be followed.

They are simple: you should not throw clothes on the ground, carefully inspect the shaded areas where you intend to lie down (it is best not to doze off in the middle of the wildlife), close the windows and doors of cars and tents tightly, and always look at your feet. And the classic: before putting on your shoes, shake out your shoes.

DOSSIER ON KARAKURT
The second name of this spider is “black widow”. This spider was nicknamed this because it is black in color (with red dots), and the females eat their partners after mating.
Karakurt loves to live in desert places, on the slopes of ravines, and in the steppes. With the onset of heat, “black widows” begin to migrate, looking for new safe places. During this period, females become aggressive and can bite people if disturbed. Widows especially do not like it if their nest is disturbed (usually they build it in the lower, shady half of the stone) or pressed against them.
Karakurt poison 15 times more poisonous than poison one of the most scary snakes- rattling, although for the most part different types Black widow venom is dangerous to varying degrees, the most dangerous poison being in the South American species.

First of all, the effect of its poison is aimed at paralyzing nervous system. The peak effect of the poison occurs in the twelfth hour after the bite. Karakurt is active throughout the summer; it is at this time that it begins to reproduce and becomes more irritable. The hotter the weather, the more aggressive the spider. But if he is not disturbed, he is, as a rule, not prone to aggression.

Rumors that the Karakurts became embittered and began to attack people are not true. The spider is not such a developed creature as to attack people out of hatred or revenge. It bites only when the person himself poses a threat to his life - the karakurt defends itself.
Why did the karakurt become closer to humans? Yes, because we ourselves create the conditions for its migration. We leave cans on the shore and create spontaneous garbage dumps. All this is an excellent home for a spider.
During the day they sleep in crevices and only leave their homes in the evening.

FIRST AID
HOW TO DO IT
1. At the pre-medical stage, the first thing you need to do is wash the wound with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.
2. The second thing that can help is cooling the bite site. If you do this within 30 minutes, the absorption of the poison will slow down. A cold compress, ice or metal will work for this purpose.
3. The third thing to do is to fix the bitten limb in a motionless position. This may slow down the absorption of the poison.
4. If possible, immediately squeeze out, suck out the poison - but it is not recommended, since in this case the wound can become infected and the bitten person will also have to be treated for a secondary infection.
5. Take painkillers, drink plenty of water - the poison will be diluted in the blood and eliminated naturally, accordingly, intoxication will decrease.

WHAT NOT TO DO
1. There is no need to burn the wound with a match, as is often recommended by non-specialists: there is reliable evidence that the poison is destroyed by exposure high temperature, No.
2. There is no need to apply a tourniquet - poison already acts on the limb, and if its blood supply is disrupted with a tourniquet, the limb can become dead within a few minutes, and after removing the tourniquet, the products of tissue breakdown will poison the body more powerfully than the poison.
3. There is no need to make incisions near the wound - this will only risk introducing an infection there.

Karakurt – special kind spiders They belong to the family of black widows. Distinctive feature Karakurt females are distinguished by the presence of thirteen red spots on the upper surface of the abdomen. This type of spider has a poison-producing apparatus. That is why their bite represents mortal danger for a person.

The body's reaction to a karakurt bite

A karakurt bite is not painful. It can be compared to a pin prick. Some people who are bitten do not even feel it, but after just 10-15 minutes a burning pain appears at the site of the bite. Quickly spreading throughout the body, it spreads to the joints of the legs, arms and shoulder blades. Very severe pain can occur in the victim and in any lymph nodes. If you do not provide help for a karakurt bite, the pain will persist for several days.

After the poison has entered the body, the person will develop and general signs poisoning These include:

  • hallucinations;
  • severe weakness;
  • psychomotor agitation (moans, screams, unconscious throwing in different directions);
  • or muscle spasms.

The subsequent development of symptoms depends on the degree of toxicity of the poison and on whether first aid was provided for a karakurt bite.

Help with a karakurt bite

To treat poisoning, a special hyperimmune serum from a karakurt bite is used. It can only be used in a medical facility. But what if you have a very long way to go to the hospital? If you are bitten by a karakurt spider, you must immediately provide first aid. This will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome:

1. First of all, you need to suck out the poison from the wound of the victim. This is best done using improvised means that create a vacuum. But if they are not there, you can suck out the poison with your mouth. The poisonous secretions of the spider can get into circulatory system, so you can help someone who has been bitten in this way, but only if you don’t have:

  • stomatitis;
  • various wounds;
  • caries;
  • diseases of the oral cavity;
  • gingivitis and other damage to the mucous membrane.

After completing this procedure, you should rinse your mouth very thoroughly with plain water. Suction is effective in the first 10 minutes. After this time, doing this is absolutely useless.

2. Are the pains severe and causing a lot of inconvenience? During rendering emergency care For karakurt bites, a cold compress can be applied to the area where a local reaction appears. Any painkillers will help reduce pain.

3. Was your leg or arm bitten? She should be immobilized quickly and as much as possible. To prevent the poison from spreading in the body, it is necessary to minimize the movement of the victim.

4. For faster removal of the toxic substance, it is recommended to provide the bitten person with something to drink (preferably hot). But he needs to be given drinks in small doses. If a person has chills, severe muscle tension and a feeling of cold, warming the extremities is allowed.

What should you not do if you are bitten by a karakurt?

Before the victim receives first aid medical careIf you are bitten by a karakurt or serum is injected, you must absolutely not:

  1. Make a variety of cuts, neither in the area of ​​the wound nor on other parts of the body. They will not help remove the poison or alleviate the condition of the bitten person. At the same time, the incisions are quite dangerous, since they additionally injure the person.
  2. When bitten by a karakurt, it is forbidden to apply a tourniquet. This cannot be done either above or below the area where the local reaction appeared.

Classification

View: Karakurt – Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

Genus: Black widows

Family: Web spiders

Squad: Spiders

Class: Arachnids

Type: Arthropods

Subtype: Invertebrates

Lifespan: up to 14 months (females), up to 10 months (males, unless eaten)

Surprisingly, it is not snakes, like and, that are considered the most poisonous, but spiders.

And the most poisonous of the order of arthropods is the karakurt spider (the photo and description may shock you).

Karakurt is also called the black widow. Black - because this is the color of the spider’s abdomen, legs, and head.

Widow - because the female, whose size is almost three times the size of the male, eats her spouse after the marriage ceremony.

But something else is more dangerous; this animal is very poisonous.

It is difficult to notice, because the karakurt even pulls its snares not vertically, like other spiders, but horizontally, and the thin threads are located chaotically, and not, as shown in cartoons, in a circle.

If you accidentally touch a spider, it will perceive this as aggression on your part, attack and bite.

Habitat

IN lately they migrated (probably due to global warming), and they can be found even in the Moscow region, Azerbaijan, Altai Territory and in some regions: Rostov, Volgograd, Novosibirsk.

Karakurt nests are built in secluded places:

  • in mouse holes;
  • in crevices;
  • in depressions in the ground;
  • within the walls of adobe houses.

They prefer to settle in the steppes and on arable lands, near ditches, irrigation ditches, ravines, salt marshes, and wastelands.

But they don’t like hot deserts, wet ravines, bushes and thick grasses.

Attention! Sometimes karakurts can be found in abandoned buildings and even in your own yard.

Appearance

Outwardly, the spider seems so cute - it has neither fluff nor hair, like, for example, a tarantula.

And the description of the karakurt spider is very interesting - its body is more like a construction set. It has a ball-shaped abdomen and a cephalothorax.

They are connected to each other by the seventh segment (like our vertebra) of the cephalothorax.

Limbs extend from the abdomen: two pairs of jaws and four pairs of legs. The abdomen is a symbiosis of the telson (anal lobe) and eleven segments.

The female has upper jaws (chelicerae) that end in hooks. And on the other side of the jaws there are poisonous glands.

Interesting! The bite of a female karakurt is 15 times more poisonous than the bite of a rattlesnake.

The Latin name karakurt best describes the appearance of the spider.

Translated into Russian it means “thirteen points.” Indeed, on the back of the spider you can see red-orange dots of arbitrary shape with a white outline.

These marks mean danger; by them you can determine that a karakurt is watching you.

The spider, growing up, does not lose color - the dots remain. And the spider changes, and sometimes instead of spots, yellow stripes appear on its abdomen.

During the juvenile period of life, both the female and the male molt: the spider 7 times, and the female spider 9 times.

Characteristic

Karakurt females differ from males in both appearance and size.

If the males are frail, black and no more than 7 mm in length, then the females are simply heroes: about 1 cm in length (there are also individuals up to 2 cm in length) with long three-centimeter legs - the models would be envious.

And they are rare beauties - the back is decorated with red polka dots.

Interesting! Eurasian karakurt spiders in adulthood no longer have spots, but American and Australian spiders are always spotted.

Spiders can be called aristocrats, because they have blue blood.

This is due to the fact that they have hemocyanin in their blood, not hemoglobin, that is, it is not iron, but copper, that is responsible for the color of the blood.

Global warming has caused spiders to refuse to sleep in winter.

In autumn, when the first frosts appear, the soil becomes cold and spiders die en masse.

But at the same time they manage to leave offspring.

Spiderlings grow in cocoons - they are warm and comfortable there, and only come out of their houses in the summer.

That's when - in July and August - they can bite and inject poison under the skin.

Interesting! It would seem that karakurts are not afraid of anyone. But that's not true. Flocks of sheep trample their nests in the steppes and clearings, sphex wasps inject poison into spiders, paralyzing them, insect riders (these are flies with wings - a cross between mosquitoes, flies and wasps) lay their eggs in cocoons with spiderlings and hedgehogs - karakurt It just won’t reach the hedgehog’s body through its prickly coat.

Nutrition

Reproduction

IN mating season the male actively courts the female.

But as soon as the wedding night ends, the female eats her betrothed - hence the names.

Kalmyks even call these spiders in their own way “belbesen-hara”, which translates as “”.

The female karakurt weaves the inside of her nest with a web, where she attaches cocoons with eggs. In a year, a spider can lay up to 1,300 eggs.

After a week, the spiderlings hatch from the eggs. But they don’t crawl out, but live in a cocoon until the beginning of summer.

Karakurt bites

The bite of the karakurt spider is very dangerous. Although, this is not entirely true.

A spider cannot bite through human skin; only a spider can do that. And only spiders have glands with poison.

Their chelicerae are so sharp and strong that they pierce not only the skin, but even nails.

Females are especially dangerous during the mating season - from July to the end of August.

Interesting! In the 20s of the last century, the Basmachi were called “karakurts” in Central Asia for their ferocious temperament and cruelty.

The venom of black widows is toxic, neutropic, lethal to humans and even to poison-resistant animals such as

When bitten by a karakurt, to prevent fatal outcome, the victim needs to be injected with antidote serum in the next 10 minutes

Symptoms

After 10 minutes, a maximum of half an hour, the whole body begins to ache, as if with severe chills: the lower back, lower and upper abs, chest hurt, almost unbearable pain occurs.

Then the soreness subsides and weakness sets in.

In this case, the legs weaken first, then the arms and torso.

The bitten person turns pale, tears flow, he feels sick, his heart seems to burst out of his chest.

At the final stage, consciousness becomes cloudy. A person stops recognizing others and assessing the situation, becomes depressed, and is paralyzed by fear.

To prevent death, the victim needs to be injected with a serum - an antidote.

Important! It is necessary to provide assistance to the person bitten in the first 10, maximum 20 minutes.

First actions

When walking around the neighborhood, carry matches in your pocket. If bitten by a black widow, the bite site should be immediately burned with a match to destroy the poison formula.

Then you need to go to the nearest hospital and administer the antidote. The serum itself is quite expensive.

It is produced at the Tashkent Institute of Vaccines and Serums and costs more than 30 thousand rubles.

Alternatively, you can inject a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate (5 ml) under the skin and make a lotion.

Please note that the poison is not neutralized immediately after the injection. It becomes easier only after a week or three.

It all depends on the season, weight, age and immunity of the bitten person and on the amount of poison injected under the skin.

But in fairness, it is worth saying that the karakurts are the first and never attack for nothing.

They can bite if you accidentally step on the nest or the female itself.

Karakurt spider: poisonous and very dangerous

Residents of steppes, deserts, and, more recently, cities are afraid of seemingly innocent creatures. This is a karakurt spider (photo). The bite of these animals is very dangerous, even poisonous. How to recognize and protect yourself from poison?

Spiders (arachnids) are silent killers that, if attacked, cause the instant death of their victim. Patient and calculating arachnids (all spiders belong to this class) weave trapping, killing webs from invisible sticky threads. Up to 30 thousand species of spiders are known. They live next to humans - in the house, forests, fields, ponds. And, of course, a spider bite is not uncommon, especially if a person is in the habitat of spiders.

All spiders are poisonous. Venom glands are located on two head appendages - chelicerae. They need poison to kill and digest their prey. The main prey is insects. Some tropical spiders have a web with a diameter of 2 m and can even interrupt the flight of a small bird. They feed on frogs, mice, small birds, fish and even their own brothers - cannibalism among spiders is quite common. Most spiders are not capable of causing significant harm to humans. Although the venom is strong, its small amount and poorly developed injection mechanism limit the number of species dangerous to humans. The only dangerous ones for people are those that can pierce the skin. The most common species include karakurt (black widow), tarantula, scorpion, hermit spider, cross spider, tarantula spider, and house spider.

spider bite the next day

Most spider bites have general characteristics, such as a small blister in the middle, swelling and swelling surrounding the bite site, and large redness in a circle. On outside the redness is paler from the site of the bite. It's important to note that a spider can only bite once, so if you have multiple bites, it's probably someone else who bit you other than a spider, or multiple spiders bit you at once. A typical spider bite goes away within a few days and, in most cases, does not require special attention.
However, if the bite site looks different - a large bubble appears, bright redness quickly spreading to the sides, blue discoloration of large areas of the skin - these are serious signs that you need to react to immediately and contact a medical facility immediately.
In the photo you can see the differences - what a bite from a safe spider looks like and a bite that is dangerous to health.

What to do if bitten by a spider

  1. First of all, don't panic! Although all spiders look scary, there are only about 12 species whose bite has a serious impact on people or animals. The two most dangerous are the black widow spider and brown recluses.
  2. Check the wound. After a bite, pay attention to the site of the bite - whether there is redness, swelling and burning pain. There may be abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever, dizziness. The most dangerous reactions are difficulty breathing and shock. If there is anything more than just a bite mark, slight redness and pain, you should call ambulance or consult a doctor.
  3. Spider identification - if possible and safe. Some spider bites require serious treatment, including antitoxins. If you are unable to identify the spider, this will be helpful in determining appropriate treatment. It will help a lot if you can catch the spider in a jar or box (just remember to be safe). Or at least take a photo of it and show the photo to the doctor.

First aid for a spider bite

  1. To reduce blood flow in the affected area, it is necessary to secure the arm or leg with a belt or scarf - as if there was a fracture. This will prevent the poison from quickly spreading into the blood and spreading throughout the body.
  2. Wash the bite with soap and water. Regardless of whether the spider is harmless or poisonous, it should be washed thoroughly as soon as possible. Even ordinary spider If bitten, it can cause infection in the wound.
  3. Apply a cold compress or ice to the bite site.
  4. Drink plenty of fluids - this will ensure that the poison is quickly eliminated through the kidneys.
  5. Take a pain reliever - for example, analgin or ibuprofen.
  6. And also an antihistamine that will reduce allergic symptoms - itching, burning, rash.

If you suspect you have been bitten by a poisonous spider, you can apply a tight bandage above the bite if it is on an arm or leg, making sure you do not completely cut off the circulation.

The goal is to slow the spread of the venom, not stop blood flow to the extremities. If the bite is on another part of the body, apply ice and get to a medical facility immediately. Hospitalization is required for most of these types of bites.

Recluse spider bite

One of the four spiders whose bite poses a danger to humans - recluse spider. The brown recluse is generally not aggressive and generally bites people as a defense mechanism, usually when a person's leg or arm accidentally gets too close.

The brown recluse has a clear fiddle pattern on its back in the midsection of its body - pictured.

The venom of the recluse spider contains powerful cytotoxins and hemolytic enzymes that destroy red blood cells. Although the sting is not usually painful at first, there is a burning sensation similar to a bee sting for the first few minutes after the sting.
A small white blister may also appear at the site of the bite.

Additional symptoms usually develop two to eight hours after a recluse spider bite. Sometimes it takes up to 12 hours until symptoms of the bite develop. Signs:

  • severe pain at the site of the bite
  • severe itching
  • nausea
  • vomit
  • fever
  • muscle pain

Local symptoms

Initially, you may see slight signs of redness at the site of the spider bite.

In most cases, the skin at the site of the bite then hardens and scar tissue may take several days to form. More severe local reactions also occur and can cause blistering, discoloration of the skin, and necrosis of the skin area.

Treatment

Because The reaction to a recluse spider bite can be sudden and severe; it is necessary to contact a specialist to prescribe treatment. A visit to the doctor should not be delayed until symptoms appear; see a doctor as soon as possible.
If possible, the spider should be caught and brought to a doctor or emergency room for evaluation.

There are no known antivenoms for bites brown recluse, so your doctor may prescribe painkillers, antihistamines to relieve itching, or recommend icing the bite to reduce pain and swelling.

Cross spider bite

The cross is a small creature harmless to humans that lives quietly, hunting insects that fall into their nets. The sharp poisonous fangs of the spider are primarily a tool for hunting and serve to protect it from other spiders. The victim, falling into the trap, is quickly paralyzed by the poison, and then the spider devours it.
The cross spider looks quite harmless - it is distinguished by its characteristic cross pattern on its back. The color varies from green to gray, depending on the habitat. The cross is very common - it lives almost everywhere.

A human bite can only be accidental. Their teeth are not able to damage hard skin, but thinner areas of the body are not a problem. Most often, this situation can arise while walking in the forest, picking mushrooms or traveling. Cross plants grow quickly and can reach impressive sizes in late summer.

They stretch webs of webs between trees at a height human face. An inattentive mushroom picker falls into the network being laid and completely destroys it. Then the insect, willy-nilly, tries to escape or hides under clothing. IN at the moment, we can accidentally crush an insect and then the spider bites.

Sometimes such situations occur during sleep. Spiders are nocturnal creatures and often move around in search of good places for hunting. A sleeping person, feeling a slight tingling sensation on his body, instinctively trying to scratch himself, crushes it, exposing himself to a bite. Erythema or swelling may occur on the body in the area of ​​the spider bite. Usually these symptoms go away on their own.

The poison of the cross does not cause any harm to humans. However, people with allergies or sensitive to spider toxins should consult a doctor.

Tarantula bite

The bite of a tarantula (Lycosa, Theraphosidae) does not pose a danger to humans, but may be accompanied by pain and swelling. After being bitten, the animal performs a defensive maneuver, while shedding hairs from its abdomen. Small hairs getting into the eyes and skin cause pain and urticarial rash. A type of tarantula is the tarantula spider.

Tarantula spider bite

There are 400 species of tarantulas of different colors. From cobalt blue to gray or dark brown, sometimes black. The tarantula reaches sizes from 9-10 to 17-23 cm, although its body is no more than 10 cm. The rest is on the legs.
Tarantulas live a very long time - from 25 to 40 years, but this depends on the gender of the spider. He is one of the most scary spiders(externally) - its weight is 80 grams! The tarantula spider does not weave a web like other spiders, but pursues prey with its long legs and paralyzes her with poison. It feeds on small insects - grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, and even small lizards.

Incredibly, the spider has eight eyes - two in front and two each on the left, right side and back! They usually dig holes in the ground and build a house there.

Tarantulas are poisonous, but most types of venom are not strong enough to seriously harm anyone.

A tarantula bite can be compared to a wasp or bee sting. In most cases it is harmless, although a person with an allergy may react as if they were being stung by a bee.
Recently, some people have started keeping the tarantula spider as a pet. A human bite can happen due to negligence when a spider tries to escape from a terrarium.
First aid for a tarantula bite is no different from other bites - you should consult a doctor if you have an allergy or signs of wound infection.

Karakurt bite

Karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) is a poisonous spider that lives in Moldova, Crimea, and Central Asia. Females that have a pair of tubular poisonous glands located on the upper jaw are dangerous to humans. The poisonous segment (chelicerum) ends in a movable sharp claw with an opening for the duct of the poisonous gland. The female has a spherical, dense black abdomen with reddish spots. The length of the karakurt is about 10 mm.

Symptoms of poisoning with karakurt poison

After a bite, a small, quickly disappearing spot is formed. After 10-20 minutes, severe pain develops at the site of the lesion, which spreads to the abdomen, lower back, and chest. Severe mental agitation, headache, dizziness, suffocation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, tachycardia, arrhythmia are observed. Severe drooling may begin. Possible respiratory arrest.

Black widow bite

The black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) of the genus Latrodectus lives in the United States. The females of this species are very large: the paw span reaches 5 cm, and the body length is 1.5 cm. There is a red hourglass pattern on the black back.

Males are smaller, with a white mark on the back, the small size of the venomous apparatus and mild aggressiveness make them practically harmless to humans. When disturbed, they fall to the ground, fold their paws and pretend to be dead. Female black widows are venomous from the moment they are born. If they are guarding eggs laid or sensing imminent danger, prefer to attack. Spiders use their venom to paralyze prey, from which they then suck the hemolymph.

The period of post-copulatory passivity of the female allows the male to escape from his partner if she is not very hungry. If the female is hungry, then after mating she eats the “wife”, which is why she is called a “widow”.

Karakurt venom is a protein with a molecular weight of 130,000. Under the influence of the poison, ion channels are formed in the presynaptic membranes of nerve cells through which Ca 2++ ions enter the cell. Under the influence of the toxin, exocytosis of synaptic vesicles is facilitated and the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and acetylcholine is enhanced.

Changes in intracellular homeostasis and increased biological content in the blood active substances affect the functional state of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

In case of poisoning with karakurt poison, clinical manifestations develop within 30 minutes. The victim usually feels the sting and describes it as a "puncture". In the area of ​​the spider bite, severe pain is noted, erythema and increased local sweating gradually increase.

Karakurt bite degree

When bitten by a black widow, there are three degrees of severity of the disease.

  • I degree; moderate pain at the site of the bite, no general clinical manifestations of intoxication, all laboratory parameters are normal.
  • II degree: muscle pain in the bitten limb. Spread of pain to the abdomen when biting a leg or chest when biting a hand. Profuse sweating at the site of the bite. Vital signs are normal.
  • III degree: generalized muscle pain in the back, chest, abdomen. Strong mental agitation. Headache, dizziness, suffocation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, arterial hypertension, tachycardia, arrhythmia. General profuse sweating. Severe drooling. Possible respiratory arrest. Blood tests show increased levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), leukocytosis, and proteinuria. In the absence of treatment, the maximum severity of symptoms lasts for 12 hours, the duration of intoxication is 48-72 hours.

in the photo on the left - the bite at the beginning, on the right - on the 3rd day

Muscle spasms and muscle tension in the anterior abdominal wall sometimes cause misdiagnosis of peritonitis and unnecessary laparoscopy.

Scorpion sting

The scorpion spider (Centruroides sculpturatus) is a poisonous spider widely distributed in the world. In Russia it lives in southern latitudes. A structural feature of the scorpion, unlike other arthropods, is the presence of pedipalps with claws; at the end of the abdomen there is a curved sharp sting where the duct of the poisonous glands opens. The most dangerous is the black scorpion, its size is 50-100 mm.

Scorpion venom binds to sodium channels cell membranes, causing repeated activation of neurons. This is accompanied by a prolongation of the neuronal action potential at the synapses of the autonomic nervous system, which leads to an increase in the blood levels of catecholamines, renin and aldosterone.

Symptoms of poisoning from a scorpion sting

The bite causes severe pain, which quickly spreads along the nerve trunks. The victim screams in pain, severe weakness develops, cramps of individual muscle groups occur, blood pressure rises, and the body becomes covered in cold, sticky sweat. A urticarial rash appears in the bite area. In severe cases, motor agitation develops, arterial hypertension turns into hypotension, tachyarrhythmia, ventricular extrasystoles, vomiting, profuse sweating, priapism, and salivation occur.

Increasing visual impairment, ptosis, involuntary contractions of the tongue muscles are noted, and speech becomes slurred. Within 2-3 hours after the poison is introduced into the body, breathing becomes impaired and pulmonary edema develops. Death occurs due to the phenomena of increasing acute cardiovascular and respiratory failure.

When assessing the degree of toxicity of arthropod venom, the following was noted:

Spider bite treatment

To reduce the spread of venom from the bite site throughout the body, immobilization of the limb is indicated. The pain is relieved by performing a novocaine blockade, and painkillers are administered: non-narcotic and narcotic analgesics. Cold is applied to the bite area.

Hormones, antihistamines are administered: H1-receptor blockers (promethazine (diprazine), chloropyramine (suprastin), etc. and H2-receptors (cimetidine, ranitidine (acylok), etc., vitamins. When excited, benzodiazepines are prescribed. When a karakurt bite, an anti-karakurt drug is administered subcutaneously serum. In severe cases, horse immunoglobulin (IgG) is administered. Antitoxin (from horse serum) prevents the venom from binding to presynaptic membranes and remains effective even 46 hours after the bite.

When a scorpion stings, calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors are prescribed. Propranolol (anaprilin) ​​effectively and quickly stops tachyarrhythmia, but does not improve hemodynamic parameters. In case of respiratory depression, oxygen is supplied; in case of acute respiratory failure, artificial pulmonary ventilation (ALV) is performed.