A potential life-threatening Asian funnel-web spider bite (Macrothele gigas) in central Taiwan

Yi Luo; Yan-Chiao Mao; Po-Yu Liu; Liao-Chun Chiang; Kuo-Lung Lai; Ju-Ying Chien

doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.04.010

A potential life-threatening Asian funnel-web spider bite (Macrothele gigas) in central Taiwan

Toxicon. 2022 Jul 15:213:83-86. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.04.010. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Authors

Yi Luo¹, Yan-Chiao Mao², Po-Yu Liu³, Liao-Chun Chiang⁴, Kuo-Lung Lai⁵, Ju-Ying Chien⁶

Affiliations

¹ Liuzhou Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Snake Injury Treatment Center, Liuzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China.
² Division of Clinical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
³ College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Infection, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁴ Division of Clinical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; National Tsing Hua University, College of Life Sciences, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
⁵ College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Division of Clinical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: beckychien@vghtc.gov.tw.

PMID: 35447105
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.04.010

Abstract

Five funnel-web spiders in the genus Macrothele are widely distributed to Taiwan. We herein reported the severe case of a woman bitten by a male Macrothele gigas who present with autonomic (i.e., profuse sweating and piloerection), cardiovascular (hypertension and tachycardia), and neurologic effects (perioral numbness) in addition to local tissue swelling and regional limb pain. Morphine and ampicillin/sulbactam were administered. Her cardiovascular, neurologic, and local symptoms gradually improved, and thus was discharged 24 h post-bite. However, persistent diaphoresis and piloerection lasted for at least 3 days, and pre-renal azotemia was suspected. Due to the risk of severity and death reported for the Australian funnel web spider bites, we suggest patients bitten by an Asian funnel-web spider be carefully monitored and resuscitation performed as indicated.

Keywords: Asian funnel-web spider; Envenomation; Macrothele gigas.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Humans
Male
Pain
Spider Bites* / diagnosis
Spider Venoms* / toxicity
Spiders*
Taiwan

Substances

Spider Venoms