In Italy, a 50-year-old reportedly suffered anaphylactic shock and died from a violinist spider bite.
- A Greek shopkeeper is said to have been bitten by a poisonous violinist spider while visiting a farm.
- A few hours later, the 50-year-old allegedly suffered from itching, felt unwell and suffered anaphylactic shock.
- The next day he was found dead in his hotel room.
On June 13, a Greek merchant, Konstantinos Moulas, was found unconscious in his hotel room in Sabaudia, Italy. The 58-year-old was traveling to the area on a series of trade-related work assignments in the agribusiness sector, according to the newspaper. Il Messaggero. The day before, he had spent the day on a farm specializing in the production of kiwis with his five colleagues.
“Even the use of the defibrillator did not prevent the tragedy”
The next morning, when they went down to have breakfast, none of them saw the father of the family and were worried. They knocked on his bedroom door and discovered that he was unconscious. Paramedics were immediately called and tried to resuscitate him, but it was not possible to save his life, as he had probably already died during the night. “We are very shocked by what happened. We provided all the necessary assistance, but unfortunately even the use of the defibrillator did not prevent the tragedy”said Simone Ponziani, manager of the hotel where the 50-year-old was staying.
A violinist spider bite at the origin of his death?
After his death, an investigation was opened to establish the exact sequence of events. First, the colleagues of the Greek trader who had spent the day with him were questioned. The latter confirmed that they had gone to a farm for professional reasons and added that Konstantinos Moulas had complained of itching and would have felt unwell during the evening. After this interrogation, the investigators put forward a hypothesis: the deceased patient would have been bitten by a violinist spider and would have suffered an anaphylactic shock that occurred during the night, when he was alone in the room, without anyone for him. ‘help.
Violinist spider: how to recognize it?
The violinist spider, which is a member of the loxosceles family (Loxosceles rufescens), is so named because it has a small spot on its back in the shape of a violin. She has a reddish-sand color, an oval, dark abdomen, a shrunken head and long, thin legs.
The latter is poisonous. This is why its bite can be accompanied by itching, irritation, fever, nausea, dizziness or vomiting. Another possible reaction is anaphylactic shock, which is a severe allergic reaction. “Potentially fatal, it constitutes an absolute medical emergency. (…) The only first-line medication for anaphylaxis is injectable adrenaline. This comes in the form of a so-called auto-injector pen prescribed to the patient after a severe episode “, noted Inserm.