Another Brown Recluse bite reported, what you need to know

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:50:10 GMT — Wednesday, NBC25 brought you the story of a Saginaw County man who had been bitten by a Brown Recluse, a poisonous spider that is not native to Michigan. After that story aired, another woman sent us photos, claiming her son had been bitten too.

In the images section of this story are photos of the progression of a spider bite that a Lapeer County woman says happened to her son. In an email the woman describes the infection process to NBC25. She says the first day, it looked like a little pimple. She states that, by the next [day] it had what looked like a blood blister over it.

The mother says they took the boy to the doctor, who prescribed steroids and an antibiotic, but when it didn TMt heal they went to the Emergency Room. She states, he was very close to being admitted he was infected from just above the ankle to just below the knee. They cut open the blood blister looking thing took out a half dollar size puss pocket|

The woman says her son has healed from the infection, but there is still a scar.

This is the third incident NBC25 has become aware of this summer in Mid-Michigan. First, a Flint woman found the deadly spider in a garden. She sent the live arachnids to Michigan State University, where they verified the rare find.

Wednesday, we reported about the Saginaw County man who had been bitten and infected.

Brown Recluse bites at first site appear to be nothing more than a pimple or ingrown hair, but can quickly become dangerous. According to brownrecluse.org, early infection symptoms often include fever, shivering, nauseas, vomiting, itching, restlessness, and state of shock. The poison can travel through a person TMs blood stream and can even impact vital organs such as the kidneys. If you notice a bite and are experiencing any symptoms, it TMs important to contact your doctor immediately.

Flint's Dr. Bobby Mukkamala says people should not panic about the recent reports of spider bites. He says few spider bites are dangerous. "Most of the time, these spider bites, brown recluse particularly, they really don't cause a lot of damage. A small percentage, like 30% or under can put a toxin in the blood stream and can cause problems," says Dr. Bobby. He says if you've been bitten, check with a doctor immediately.