Boy, 13, Left With 50p Size Black Hole In Arm After Being Bitten By False Widow Spider

A 13-year-old boy was left with a 50p-sized black hole in his arm after he was bitten by a false widow spider.

Jamie Harrison was asleep when the spider sunk its fangs into him and woke to find a painful small spot on his skin.

And soon the mark swelled to the large boil with an oozing black centre. After a trip to the GP, Jamie's dad David, 45, rushed him to A&E where a doctor confirmed he had been nipped by a false widow - whose bites produce necrosis of the flesh.

The teen grimaced his way through the 'painful' extraction process, which involved the doctor squeezing the bite, leaving a gaping 50p-sized hole on the inside of his left arm.


Jamie, from Torbay, Devon, said: "It was really horrible, the bite had gone black and had pus in it.

"I just wanted to get rid of it as it was uncomfortable and looked awful.

"The doctor at the hospital knew straight away it was a false widow spider bite and told me they had to get all the pus out.

"She then used her hands to squeeze it all out, it was so painful.

"She managed to squeeze all the blackness out. It was a relief when it was all out, but it left behind a pretty big hole about the size of a 50p piece."

Jamie said: "I didn't really think spiders could do that in this country.

"I didn't used to be bothered by spiders but now I am - I keep well away from them.

"I'm just happy that it's healed like it has.

"If anyone is in a similar situation I recommend they go to the hospital and get it checked out straight away, otherwise it can turn really nasty."