A BRITISH woman bitten by a spider while sunbathing on a beach in Spain has narrowly escaped death.
Sue Isaac, 58, was bitten on the bottom by the dangerous arachnid, while holidaying at a friend’s villa in Albox, Almeria.
She said: “I sat down on my sarong that I’d left out overnight on a sun bed and thought, ‘Ooh that really hurt’ and I realised I’d got bitten.
“It brought tears to my eyes, it was like a bee sting but it didn’t go away.”
Over the next week Mrs Isaac started to feel unwell and noticed that a small bruise had developed on the inside of her left thigh.
She added: “I felt poorly all the time, I had a fever and no energy.”
Within days, the bruise had doubled in size and was surrounded by clusters of blisters and Mrs Isaac could not get out of bed.
She was taken to hospital and admitted to an intensive care unit where doctors told her an infection had entered her body via the spider bite.
Mrs Isaac was given antibiotics but after eight days in hospital, her left thigh had swollen to three times its normal size and the bruise had grown to 10 inches.
Tests found 14 types of bacteria in the wound, including flesh-eating Streptococcus pyogenes.
She said: “’I thought I was going to die, or, at best, I thought I was going to lose my leg.
“At one point I asked to be left alone because I wanted to be by myself to die.
“I can’t believe I got through it.”
She required six months of further treatment before she could return home to Braintree, in Essex.
Lots of people have been bitten on the ‘butt’ in Andalucia, not just by dangerous insects, snakes, scorpions and spiders.
I am pleased Sue got through her ordeal and wish her well.
Nasty experience, but why the lurid and stupidly inaccurate headline? Oh, I forgot- this is The Olive Press !
Bet Ms. Isaac doesn’t think the article was in the least inaccurate or lurid. True, it was the bacteria that were “flesh-eating” not the spider. Still hurts though. Get well soon Sue.
So what was the spider then? Andalucian funnel web sort or what? Any information on that might be helpful to know what to look out for??
Stefanjo, I said the headline was lurid and inaccurate, not the article !
Furthermore, I thought everyone nowadays knew that spiders are not insects.
Thanks for you comments Bill. The article has been corrected.