South Florida seemingly has an epidemic of brown recluse spider bites – although the brown recluse spider does not live in the area. Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology, based in Hollywood, Florida, says that many people are mistaking a simple infected follicle for the aftermath of a nasty spider bite - even the local poison control centers.
A group in Florida is frequently accused of crimes that it did not commit. The group I am referring to is spiders. Not a gang that calls themselves “the spiders,” but actual spiders. Almost once a week I have a patient accuse a spider of causing his skin problem because he, a friend, or even a physician told him that he probably has a spider bite.
When physicians diagnose a spider bite, they usually mean a “brown recluse” spider bite. When the brown recluse spider bites you, the reaction is a red necrotic lesion. In reality, no species of recluse spiders are native to Florida. So it would be doubtful that you would have a brown recluse spider bite down here, unless you had recently traveled to some other area where these types of spiders were prevalent.
Expert Advice
An arachnologist at University of California, Riverside Department of Entomology further makes the point: In the case of necrotic wounds, “brown recluse spider bite” is a common conclusion of medical personnel throughout North America including such ludicrously inhospitable places as Canada and Alaska, where no brown recluses have ever been found.
In a six-year database for the three Florida poison control centers, 124 brown recluse spider bites were diagnosed by medical personnel in that state (and these are only those that were reported). In comparison, in 100 years of arachnological information, only 11 recluse spiders have been found in Florida and only two of these finds were in homes. In other words, each month the number of recluse spiders bites diagnosed in Florida is greater than the number of recluse spiders ever found in Florida. Sound fishy? To me it does!
Infection of Hair Follicle
My experience is that almost every time someone thinks that he has a spider bite, he actually has a furuncle. A furuncle is an infection of the hair follicle. Some people call it a “boil.” It is usually a red swollen nodule. Sometimes it is hot and tender; sometimes it is filled with pus.
The culprit is not a spider, but actually Staph Aureus, a common bacteria that infects the skin. The treatment consists of draining it in the office and then using warm compresses at home (no antibiotics are needed usually).
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
