A mother-of-two had to rush her six-year-old daughter to hospital after a bite from a false widow spider turned septic.
Ayla Riddock complained that her foot was itchy after spending the day playing in the garden at home in Falkirk, Scotland.
She asked her mother, Kim Matheson, 28, to take a look, and she noticed a blister and red rash on daughter’s left foot.
After a visit to the GP, little Ayla was given antibiotics – but the infection continued to spread.
Days later she returned to the doctor, who diagnosed the inflammation as cellultis – a skin infection that can potentially turn into sepsis if left untreated.
Mrs Matheson was urged to take Ayla to hospital – where she would spend five days on an IV drip before making a recovery at home.
The mother, who works as a waitress, is warning others of the dangers of spider bites, saying: ‘Ayla’s just lucky she got treatment in time.’
Mother-of-two Kim Matheson, 28, initially dismissed a small red mark on her daughter Ayla Riddock’s foot as a midge bite – but it turned out to be a far more serious bite from a false widow spider
AFter the bite, only a small part of Ayla’s foot was inflamed, but it quickly spread and caused swelling and soreness
The vite on the sole of Ayla’s foot caused her to develop skin infection cellulitis, which can turn to sepsis in very serious cases
As the infection spread, Ayla, then six, suffered a huge blister on the sole of her foot, while the rest of her skin appeared red and bruised
She added: ‘As we don’t have venomous spiders in the UK, people believe their bites are harmless.
‘But my daughter developed a near life-threatening skin infection, and the doctor said that it was turning septic.’
Mrs Matheson revealed she waited three days before taking Ayla to the GP, after initially dismissing two small red marks on her foot as a midge bite.
After three days, a large, semi-circle shaped blister and red rash appeared on Ayla’s foot, so her mum took her to the doctor.
Doctors initially gave Ayla a round of antibiotics to treat the infection, but when it was later identified as cellulitis, she was rushed to a hospital in Falkirk
Ayla, now 10, spent five days on an IV drip in hospital as she fought off the potentially life-threatening infection
Ayla was bitten by a false widow spider while playing in her garden in Falkirk. Her mother, Kim Matheson, has warned of the dangers of spider bites
She said: ‘The GP confirmed it was a spider bite and Ayla was prescribed antibiotics, but after three days I still hadn’t seen any improvement and the rash continued to spread over her foot.’
Concerned, Ayla’s mother took her back to the doctor, where the GP believed it to be a false widow spider bite.
There, Ayla was diagnosed with cellulitis, a serious bacterial skin infection.
Ayla, now aged 10, made a full recovery, but her mother says she now has a phobia of spiders
What is the false widow spider and what to do if you get bitten
False widow spiders are distinctive for their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns.
Millions of false widows, Britain’s most venomous spider, have been found across the UK and the population is believed to be growing.
The species has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings that look like a skull. They have long legs and can reach about 15mm in size.
Also known as steatoda nobilis, the spider is frequently confused for the black widow, which has deadly venom.
The false widow was first spotted in the UK in Torquay in 1879, and it is thought that it may have made its way to these shores from Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas.
The Natural History Museum says that warmer summers mean the spider is spreading northwards through the UK, having previously been found mainly in southern England.
IF YOU GET BITTEN…
The first thing you should do is wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection – and don’t scratch, as if you break the skin there’s more chance for bacteria to get in.
Cover bites with a plaster and apply an antihistamine sting cream to calm any inflammation or itching. Any redness, pain or swelling should subside after three days.
Be alert to potential signs of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling, that continue to get worse after a few days. If this happens, seek advice from your GP.
Left untreated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream and quickly become life -threatening.
Ayla was rushed to A&E at Fourth Valley Royal Hospital, Lambert, following the bite in October 2017.
Her mother said: ‘At the time, there was a lot of news about false widow spiders in the area.
‘Although they’re not venomous, Ayla still managed to contract cellulitis.
‘If I hadn’t of taken her back to the doctors when it started to spread, the doctor said that it might have turned into sepsis, which could have been life-threatening.
‘I was so worried.’
After spending five days in hospital on an IV drip, Ayla was discharged with a course of antibiotics.
Mrs Matheson added: ‘She improved day by day. But because her foot had blistered that badly, I had to keep her off school for a few weeks because she couldn’t walk.
‘For about a year or so after, her foot continued to itch and it often got inflamed.
‘The skin around it has definitely been damaged from it which often causes her irritation to this day.’
Now years on, Ayla, now 10, has a phobia of spiders and won’t go out of the house without shoes on.
Always wear shoes when you’re outside, you’ll never be too safe.
‘I think a lot of people have disbelief that there are spiders in the UK that can cause harm. They may not be venomous, but their bites can definitely cause infection and could be life threatening.’
False widow spiders have previously been found mostly in southern England, but warmer summers mean the arachnid has started to migrate further north.
Millions have been found across the UK, and they are easily identifed by their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns.
If bitten by the spider, medical advice urges people to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to avoid infection, and also avoid scratching.
Cover bites with a plaster and apply an antihistamine sting cream to calm any inflammation or itching.
Be alert to potential signs of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling, that continue to get worse after a few days. If this happens, seek advice from your GP.