Malaga horror as man nearly loses arm from spider bite | World | News
A man from Málaga’s El Palo district continues to recover from a severe reaction to a Loxosceles rufescens bite, with doctors warning the injury nearly cost him his arm. The incident occurred while he was watering plants at a friend’s house when he suddenly felt a “sharp pain.” At first he thought it was nothing more than a mosquito bite, but within a few hours his condition rapidly worsened.
High fever, reaching 39°C, was followed by intense swelling, a growing swelling at the bite site, and signs of tissue damage and necrosis that then spread to the arm. Concerned about the speed of his symptoms, the 37-year-old patient presented to a local health center, where paramedics determined the injury was related to a spider bite. Based on its appearance, they believed it originated from a Mediterranean recluse spider. Doctors opened the wound to remove damaged tissue and treated him with antibiotics and painkillers.
Relatives described the scene in the hospital as extremely sad. “When they opened the wound, it was full of pus,” a family member said, adding that the condition worsened in the following days as the fever and skin damage continued to increase.
Family members admitted that they feared the worst during the most serious stage of the infection. “It was terrible; we’ve never seen anything like it before,” a relative said. “I thought you were going to lose your arm,” another added, as the tissue around the bite site began to darken and die.
Although the man is now slowly recovering and keeps coming to follow-up appointments, he remains away from work while the wound continues to heal.
The related spider, Loxosceles rufescens, is often found in dark, undisturbed places such as storage areas or under objects such as flower pots. Its venom contains proteolytic enzymes that break down tissue and, in rare cases, can cause serious local damage.
However, experts emphasize that such events are rare. Raimundo Real, Professor of Zoology at the University of Malaga, stated that the bite was “not common at all” in Spain and explained that the species does not usually attack humans and does not feed on blood. “He must have felt threatened,” he concluded.
He described the spider as one of the “most venomous” species in the Mediterranean region and confirmed that although it is rarely seen, Malaga is “within its range”. He added that the animal does not actively seek out humans and will only bite in self-defense if disturbed.
Real also noted that the injury was not technically a typical “bite” because the spider lacked a lower jaw, instead using the chelicera to inject venom. This substance breaks down proteins in the skin and causes local tissue damage.
He emphasized that although injuries may appear serious, they are rarely fatal. “They are potentially dangerous,” the professor added, noting that early medical treatment usually leads to recovery.
