UK Man Survives Venomous Insect Bite; Discovers 500 Widow Spiders Living In His House

A UK man named Ivan Savage suddenly felt a needlestick in his right elbow and woke up days later in the hospital and fought for his life. The 60-year-old former personal trainer from Slough, Berkshire, says he is glad to be still alive after being bitten by a poisonous spider in his own house. He discovered that his house, which, as he later found out, was the “perfect breeding ground” for widow spiders that have infested southern England, was interspersed with various species of these dangerous insects. He found almost 500 spiders in his house. One evening last August, Ivan felt a sting in his arm – it is now believed to be the catches of a Noble False Widow. The arachnid crawled up his arm and bit his hand again before it was beaten away.

Just a few minutes later, Ivan began to feel very uncomfortable – he dialled the emergency number 999 and collapsed on the floor of his living room. After he was taken to the emergency room, Ivan developed sepsis, and the doctors considered amputating his arm as the poison began to “spread into body”.

“I started to feel uncomfortable. I was boiling, but my bones felt like they were cold. I saw things in my peripheral field of view. My condition deteriorated quite quickly. I called the paramedics who told me to unlock the door in case I passed out. Before I knew it, the rescue workers were there and next I woke up in the hospital”, he added.

Ivan was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, where he remained unconscious for three days. In the hospital, Ivan fell ill with sepsis and was operated on to remove the dead flesh from his hand. Fortunately, Ivan’s arm remained intact. Terrible photos show Ivan’s red, sore and pus-filled hand, which had a gaping hole where the doctors had removed the poisoned flesh. During his two-week hospitalisation, Ivan’s house was subjected to a chemical deep cleaning to rid it of other arachnids. The pest control carried out a “biohazard detoxification” and reportedly found a nest of “500 false widows” hidden under a window sill, as well as false wolf spiders in the house. Ivan thinks his house is the “perfect breeding place” because it is located near a river.