This man nearly lost his leg after being bitten by a spider

It wasn't exactly what Atlantan musician Gabe Lustman had planned for his day on 18 August. That day, he noticed a strange sting on his leg, which began to itch. As time passed, his condition worsened...

'At first I thought it was a mosquito bite, then that I'd bumped my leg'

I start scratching it and scratching it, then it started changing color . I thought I'd hit my leg because it looked like a bullseye, like a bruise.

Said the singer-songwriter, in a telephone interview for the New York Post. He also said he didn't know exactly when or where he was bitten by the venomous spider, which he initially thought was a 'mosquito bite or something'.

The condition of the artist's leg gradually worsened throughout the day. The next day, he performed at a gala concert, before heading straight to hospital, where he was quickly attended to by the medical team.

For five days, the musician underwent a battery of tests, examinations and blood tests. Suspecting an infection, he was quickly put on antibiotics.

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'If I'd gone to hospital later, they'd have amputated my leg'

Before he was discharged, the medical staff told him that if he had gone to hospital later, he could have lost his leg, and even succumbed to the infection.

I waited until the last moment to get to the hospital. At that point I couldn't even walk or put pressure on my leg, I was completely delirious. I was really scared.

In the end, Gabe Lutsman walked away with a nice scar. He is still recovering from his hospital stay.

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The Brown Recluse, the perpetrator of this incident

And the spider responsible for Gabe Lutsman's infection is none other than the brown recluse, or 'fiddler spider', a spider found mainly in certain American states (central, southern and Midwestern) as well as in a very localized area of Mexico (east) and Ontario, Canada (south and east). The spider's spread is due to shipments of goods and global warming. In recent years, its presence in France has come under scrutiny following reports of suspected bites in several regions (Hérault, Gard, Aude, Roussillon, Pyrénées-Orientales, etc.). In Meurthe-et-Moselle, one victim even came close to amputating his arm, which was finally saved after four operations and a skin graft. Generally non-aggressive, it bites only when it feels threatened or in danger. Its cytotoxic venom kills cells in the vicinity of the bite, generally resulting in necrosis.

What should you do if you are bitten by a brown recluse?

Disinfect the wound, apply ice to calm the inflammation and take painkillers if necessary. If symptoms worsen, consult a doctor immediately to monitor progress, or call the ambulance service in the event of serious signs (fever, convulsion, onset of necrosis, etc.).

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.