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Common house spiders can carry harmful bacteria that can be transmitted to people through bites, according to research by NUI Galway scientists.
The research found that the Noble False Widow spider also carries strains of harmful bacteria, which are resistant to common antibiotics.
The study, which has been published in the international journal Scientific Reports, explains a number of symptoms experienced by people who have been bitten by the noble false widow spider in Ireland and the United Kingdom over the past ten years.
Australian Black Widow or Funnel Web spiders are known for their potentially deadly venom.
The rare “skin-eating” conditions, which followed the seemingly harmless European and North American spider bites, were thought to be the result of secondary infections caused by the person scratching the bite area.
However, research shows that spiders not only carry harmful bacteria, but germs can be transmitted when the spider uses its fangs to bite.
NUIG zoologist Dr. Michael Dugon said there has been an increase in reports of bites in the last five years and some victims have complained of “deep infections.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said the team found 22 different species of bacteria and some of them are resistant to antibiotics.
He said most of the people who reported bites were bitten in their bed or when they got dressed in the morning.
There are around ten species of spiders common in northwestern Europe with fangs strong enough to pierce human skin.
Dr John Dunbar, a zoologist at the Ryan Institute Poison System Laboratory in NUI Galway, said that only the noble false widow spider is considered of medical importance.
He said that most of the time a spider bite produces some redness and pain, but in some cases a person can develop long-lasting infections, requiring strong antibiotic treatment and possibly hospitalization.
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