According to the Great Russian Encyclopedia, approximately 2,300 species of spiders live in Russia. The most dangerous of them is the black widow (Latrodectus mactans), which was previously found only in the warmer parts of our planet. But today the climate is such that even in Russia the hot weather lasts for several months, and poisonous spiders feel just fine in such conditions. A black widow's bite causes pain and disrupts the central nervous system. Sometimes the bite leads to the death of people, but often they are saved with the help of an antidote. It consists of antibodies taken from horses, and has its disadvantages. Recently, scientists conducted a scientific experiment and were able to develop a remedy for black widow venom that does not have these disadvantages.
Some of the most dangerous spiders in the world are also found in Russia< /p>
Contents
- 1 The black widow is the most poisonous spider in Russia
- 2 What a black widow spider looks like< /li>
- 3 The bite of a black widow is dangerous to humans
- 4 Antidote for a spider bite
The black widow is the most poisonous spider in Russia
The black widow is a small but extremely poisonous spider. It is found in large quantities in North and South America, but they have occasionally been found in the Krasnodar region and other warm parts of Russia. Today, due to climate change towards warming, poisonous spiders can be found in the Crimea, as well as in the Saratov, Volgograd and even Moscow regions. They often hide in empty drawers, under furniture, inside clothes and many other places where they can be accidentally stumbled upon.
More details:The most poisonous spider in Russia – its bite lasts 2 weeks and can kill
What a black widow spider looks like
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Recognizing a black widow is very easy. This is a small spider, no more than 10 millimeters long, that is either completely black (males) or has a red hourglass-shaped spot (females). Males are always smaller than females, they have a slightly elongated body, while females have a rounded body.
Female (left) and male (right) black widow. Source: kipmu.ru
The bite of a black widow is dangerous to humans
Black widows themselves are not aggressive. They can bite a person only if he greatly disturbs them. And then, if spiders have an escape route, they usually try to hide. A bite can 100% occur only if you put the poisonous creature in a hopeless position.
As you can tell from the photo, the black widow is a tiny spider. Source: cbc.ca
Spider venom consists of many different substances. In black widow spiders, the most deadly component of the venom is considered to be the compound alpha-latrotoxin. Once in the human body, it affects the nervous system and causes a condition called latrodectism. While in it, people suffer from severe body pain, headaches and nausea. If left untreated, these symptoms may last for several days. They rarely lead to death, but a person still feels terrible.
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Antidote for spider bite
When a person is bitten by a black widow, they are usually given painkillers – after all, the main symptom of latrodectism is unbearable pain. But it is even better if he is given an antidote, which consists of antibodies obtained from horses. To obtain such antibodies, alpha-latrotoxin is injected into the bodies of horses so that they develop immunity to them. Once in the body of a person bitten by a spider, these antibodies neutralize the effect of the poison, and the symptoms listed above can be avoided.
Unfortunately, the antidote with horse antibodies has one big disadvantage. Some people's bodies perceive them as foreign, which causes severe allergies. This condition is also known as serum sickness and includes symptoms such as fever, skin rashes, joint pain and so on. To recover from serum sickness, you need to take allergy medications.
It is difficult to imagine how many lives are saved by antidotes. Source: medinhome.ru
Today, people have to be content with the antidotes that are available. But this may change in the future, because the scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology recently reported on the development of an antidote without side effects. Scientists have managed to create antibodies to alpha-latrotoxin produced in the laboratory by human cells. It is believed that such a remedy will not be perceived by the bodies of black widow victims as something foreign, and therefore will bring nothing but benefit.
The new antidote was tested only in laboratory conditions. It is not clear when they will undergo human trials and enter medical settings. But there is no particular doubt that this will happen. An antidote can only be banned if it has unexpected side effects.
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In fact, all spiders in the world are poisonous. Even spiders in our toilets can be considered such, it’s just that the concentration of poison in their fangs is so small that they have no effect on us. But for tiny insects and other victims of spiders it is also dangerous.