Question

A 36-year-old man presents after being bitten by "something". He felt a pinprick sensation on his forearm while cleaning out his garage followed by worsening pain over the next sixty minutes that spread to involve his entire arm. Shortly after, he began having severe cramping of his chest and abdomen. What was he likely bitten by?

a) Black widow spider
b) Brown recluse spider
c) Hornet
d) Ixodes tick

Answer 1

The severe pain and cramping experienced by the man are indicative of a black widow spider bite, which contains latrotoxins that can cause systemic reactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the 36-year-old man after being bitten by "something" likely point to a bite from a black widow spider. The pinprick sensation followed by worsening pain that spread to affect the entire arm, along with severe cramping of the chest and abdomen, are common symptoms of a black widow spider bite.

The venom from a black widow contains latrotoxins and other compounds that can cause these kinds of systemic reactions. In contrast, the bite of a brown recluse spider often results in localized redness, pain, and potentially necrosis at the site of the bite, while a bite by an Ixodes tick is typically associated with Lyme disease, which presents with a characteristic bulls-eye rash, fever, and flu-like symptoms rather than immediate, severe pain and cramping.