19 January 2024 , 16:17
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A man has described how he had part of his finger amputated after being bitten by a dangerous spider.
Wilker de Paula Guimarães, 31, woke up to find his left hand swollen and throbbing after a recluse spider took a bite out of him while he slept. He sought help at a local A&E, where the on-duty doctor told him it could have been a spider or scorpion bite. Despite raising the possibility of a venomous bite, Wilker claims he wasn’t given anti-venom treatment. Instead, doctors prescribed him allergy and pain medications and sent him home. He returned to the facility in Praia Grande, near São Paulo, Brazil, later on after spotting recluse spiders in his building.
Wilker de Paula Guimarães before his index finger was amputated (Jam Press)But he still wasn’t given anti-venom medication until the next day when he visited a different A&E and was administered the serum. By then, however, it was too late to save the index finger which had by that point turned purple. Wilker’s digit underwent necrosis and he had to have it amputated on January 13. The patient was later discharged from the hospital two days later. He told local media: “Now it’s about trying to get used to the new situation. It hurts a bit because, whether I like it or not, the finger’s gone. For now, I’m waiting for the doctor to schedule the follow-up.”
Wilker says he’s been experiencing phantom limb syndrome because his brain hasn’t processed the amputation. He said: “I feel itching, even though the finger isn’t there anymore. It’s really strange.” The patient, who works as a waiter, is right-handed but uses his left hand to carry trays. It’s going to hinder me a lot. Whether I like it or not, I’ll have to adapt I don’t want anyone to go through what I’m experiencing.”
Wilker's finger became swollen and purple coloured after the spider bite (Jam Press)
He sought help at a local A&E, where the on-duty doctor told him it could have been a spider or scorpion bite (Jam Press)The São Paulo Public Health Department has said it will investigate the allegations. Recluse spiders’ venom destroys the walls of blood vessels near the bite site, sometimes causing a large skin ulcer. Wilker's wound may require several months to heal and is occasionally fatal.
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In another spider story last month, The Mirror reported how a tourist was left petrified after finding an unwelcome guest in a dimly lit bathroom. She was travelling through the Philippines at the time and managed to capture a snap of the furry-legged arachnid before bolting out of the loo. Writing about the experience online, she said: “Lucky I turned the light on. Assuming it’s some kind of tarantula but curious to know.”
Dr Bruno Buzatto, a lecturer at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia answered the woman's question and confirmed it was a species of dangerous spider. He said it was "almost certainly a male tarantula", which isn't venomous but can still cause serious pain to humans with its powerful bite."