3 ms·
Black widow venom is neurotoxic, and pain is its most distinguishing feature. Tissue necrosis would suggest an infection, or a different spider bite (like a br
by harshreality 4y ago
Black widow venom is neurotoxic, and pain is its most distinguishing feature.
Tissue necrosis would suggest an infection, or a different spider bite (like a brown recluse bite). Black widow venom, on its own, doesn't lead to significant necrosis.
All spider bites, and skin punctures in general, can get infected. If infected by flesh-eating bacteria, recluse-like tissue necrosis results. This results in overreporting of brown recluse bites, due to brown recluse paranoia and availability bias.
- refurb 4y agoBlack widow venom contains more than just neurotoxin, but also toxins that attack the tissue. Besides, the main components of the venom of the spider are collagenase, protease, phospholipase, hyaluronidase, neurotoxin, and tissue-dissolving toxin. The secreted venom not only damages local tissue of the bite, but also causes local tissue swelling, degeneration, necrosis, ulcer formation... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8390344/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8390344/
- harshreality 4y agoA lot of bites have some localized tissue damage, whether caused by toxins produced by the venomous animal's genome or resident bacteria in their venom glands (aside from bacteria getting into the wound separately, causing some amount of necrosis). Concentration matters, and I haven't seen anything indicating that necrosis is a real problem in black widow bites like it can can be from recluse venom (allegedly) or flesh-eating bacteria. Also, the claim in that (Chinese) paper of necrotic venom isn't well sourced.