Brown recluse
The brown recluse is a member of the recluse or Loxosceles family. Like the brown recluse, brown spiders have a body around one-third of an inch long. Brown recluses are not usually an aggressive species. They only bite when they are trapped against a person’s skin. They usually live in dark, quiet spaces. They are also known as the violin spider because they have dark spots on their back. They are only found in certain regions, including:
- Eastern Texas
- Missouri
- Tennessee
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
The first brown recluse bite is usually painless. After 2-8 hours the bite starts to itch, hurt, and eventually turn red. A purple or ring bite that looks like a target will occur around the bite. The bite may develop a blister and get worse over time if treatment is not received. Tissues surrounding the area may start to die, causing headache, chills, and fever.
Brown recluse bites can lead to some severe health conditions, such as:
- Kidney failure [3]
- Coma or seizures [4]
- Blood in urine
- Jaundice [5]
There’s no approved drug to treat a brown recluse bite, but you can facilitate healing by cleaning the area regularly. Your healthcare provider will check the bite and recommend antibiotics to reduce pain. You may require surgery if the bite leads to necrosis [6].