15th.
Sept.
2000
RG Breene, III Ph.D.
ArachnologyML |
In the US, My latest data (1994) from Litovitz
et al. 1993 annual report on the Am. Assoc.
of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure
Surveillance System. Am. J. Emergency Med.
12: 546-584.
Goes like this.
>From 1989 to 1993, the
totals were:
widow spider bites 2,404, deaths 0,
recluse spider bites, 1,453, deaths 0,
other spider bites 560, deaths
0.
You can probably safely cut
the bite numbers
in half or more since they probably
occurred
in the minds of the perceived
victims. With
the treatment for recluse bites
now available,
which will probably work on hobo
spider bites
as well, that group should probably
be taken
off the nasty spider list. I
do have a major
problem with your use of the
word "venomous."
With snakes, the term works.
All spiders
except for the Uloboridae (Dr.
Opell's specialty)
and part of another family, the
remaining
106 families of spiders all have
venom. It
is a meaningless term. It's ugly,
but I use
"spiders with potentially
medically
significant venom in humans."
I consider
Araneae 100% beneficial, indeed,
I doubt
humans could survive without
them. What few
problems we have with spider
bites compared
with so many other toxic plants
and animals,
I must consider insignificant.
|