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There are more than 30,000 species of spiders, most of which are venomous but unable to inflict serious bites; most spiders only cause minor effects.
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The effects of medically important spiders are sometimes underestimated; conversely, there is a misattribution of signs and symptoms to alleged spider bites.
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Diagnosis is rarely based on the identification of the spider; immunoassays detecting the spiders' venom are not available.
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Brown spiders (Loxesceles spp.) and widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.) may inflict life-threatening complications.
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Prompt recognition with subsequent appropriate treatment might prevent severe reactions and improve the prognosis.
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Davidovici, B.B., Wolf, R. (2009). Noxious Spider Bites. In: Revuz, J., Roujeau, JC., Kerdel, F.A., Valeyrie-Allanore, L. (eds) Life-Threatening Dermatoses and Emergencies in Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79339-7_23
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