According to a study by Jared A Forester et. al., only 11 people died each year between 2008 and 2015 due to spider bites in the United States, out of 1610 animal-related fatalities that happened due to bites.
This means that the number of deaths due to spider bites is quite low. Part of the reason why that happens is that many spider bites are not deadly for humans, especially by the spider species living in the US.
Many spiders have venoms that they distribute through their bites, but the vast majority of venoms out there are not potent enough to kill a human. But there are still three species that can be considered dangerous for human lives: black widows, the brown recluse, and the hobo spider.
How Many People Die From Spider Bites?
The likelihood of you dying from a spider bite is very low – only 1 in around 50 million. Approximately 11 people die yearly from spider bites, which compared to other types of animal-related deaths is remarkably low.
First of all, there are not many spiders that are venomous enough to kill a human. Black widows, brown recluses, and hobo spiders can threaten a human life, especially if the person that has been bitten by these spiders doesn’t receive prompt help.
Secondly, even if someone is bitten by a potentially deadly spider, modern medicine and prompt intervention will most likely be enough to rescue someone’s life, even though there might be some consequences if a person gets bitten by a spider with a potent venom.
The other potential way that spider bites can kill humans is because of an anaphylactic shock that spider bites cause.
This type of shock is essentially an allergy to spider bites. Sometimes, this type of shock occurs right after the bite, and the symptoms will be the following:
- Swelling of lips, tongue, throat, eyes
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing and hoarseness
- Itching, cramping
- Dizziness
- Rashes
- Stomach cramps
- In severe cases, death
Deaths are possible with this type of shock if epinephrene is not administered as quickly as possible.
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Can a Spider Bite Kill a Human?
A spider bite itself cannot kill a human, but it is the venom that is released during the bite that can potentially threaten human lives.
Spiders with venoms that are strong enough to kill a human include:
- Black widow spiders
- Brown recluse spiders
- Brazilian wandering spiders
- Yellow sac spiders
- Wolf spiders
- Redback spiders
- Funnel-web spiders
Funnel-web spiders are often considered to be among the deadliest spiders in the world, as their toxine can cause significant damage to human body and potentially even kill a human. This venom can cause a human to start seeing severe adverse effects in just a few minutes, and the venom might kill a human in just 15 minutes after the bite.
At first, the bitten person will start experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating, high blood pressure. After longer periods, a person bitten will become unconscious and if not treated, might even die.
Luckily, the vast majority of spider bites can be countered with effective and powerful antidotes, which are effective enough to save many lives over the course of a year. They’re also potentially the reason why the death count among spider bite victims is so low.
The black widow spider is the most common potentially deadly spider in the US. It is responsible for around 2500 visits to poison control centers yearly, but the good thing is that its bite can also be countered. Its bite is deadly enough for small children and the elderly, although no deaths have yet been recorded.
Read Also: List of 6 Non-Poisonous Spiders
Can You Die From Bites By Daddy Long Legs?
Daddy long legs spiders (aka cellar spiders) don’t have fangs and they also don’t have venom glands, which means that you cannot die from its bite.
There have been many false reports of deaths due to bites done by daddy long legs. Some people believe that these spiders have poisons that are powerful enough to kill a person.
However, we can confirm that this is not true. Daddy long legs don’t have venom glands and they also don’t have fangs, making it impossible for them to kill a human being with its bite.
It does have some venomous excretions that they might use to kill smaller insects, though. When these toxins are ingested by the target, it can potentially kill it. However, this type of toxin is only meant for defensive measures and is not harmful to human beings.
Overall, daddy long legs are one of the most harmless spiders in the world, and they might even be beneficial for your home as they remove insects that reside in your house. That’s why you might consider leaving one inside if you’re annoyed by insects.
Do All Spiders Have Venom?
Not all spiders have venom, because some spiders catch their prey by using their webs or other means of catching their prey.
Uloboridae spiders, for example, don’t have venom glands so they don’t carry venom as most other spiders do.
However, the vast majority of spiders do carry venom. Some spiders have more potent venom, while others have just enough so that they’re able to kill off their targets. Only about 25 species out of all spider species (around 50.000) have venom that is potent enough to cause problems to humans.
So even though that the majority of spiders have venom, you should not expect to have many problems if you’re bitten by one.
Read More: Can You Defang a Tarantula?
Conclusion
To conclude, the number of people that die from spider bites on a yearly basis is very small (11). When compared to other animal-related deaths, spider bites rank near the bottom of the table.
Even though the majority of spiders in the world carry venom, only a handful of these spiders have venom that is potent enough to cause severe problems to humans, let alone to cause deaths and severe complications.
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