Author(s)

Annelise Carla Camplesi, Sthefani Soares Albernaz, Karina Paes Burger, Carla Fredrichsen Moya-Araujo

School of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Sao Paulo State University—UNESP, Jaboticabal, Brazil.
School of Veterinary Medicine—FIO, Ourinhos, Brazil.

Accidents caused by spider bites occur in many countries and represent a public health problem due to their high severity and occurrence of fatal accidents. In Veterinary Medicine, the incidence of arachnidism is considered nonexistent in large animals, as their thick skin cannot be pierced, rare in cats and common in dogs, particularly due to their exploratory and curious habit, and the habitats of venomous animals, such as the arachnids, located close to urban areas. The aim of this review is to describe the characteristics and distribution of spiders, the mechanism of action of the venom, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of accidents caused by arachnids of genera Loxosceles sp., Phoneutria sp., Latrodectus sp., and suborder Mygalomorphae.

Arachnids, Clinical Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment

Camplesi, A. , Albernaz, S. , Burger, K. and Moya-Araujo, C. (2014) Accidents Caused by Spider Bites. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 4, 113-117. doi: 10.4236/ojas.2014.43015.