Latrodectus envenomations are common throughout the United States and the world. While many envenomations can result in catecholamine release with resultant hypertension and tachycardia, myocarditis is very rare. We describe a case of a 22-year-old male who sustained a Latrodectus envenomation complicated by cardiomyopathy.

The spider genus Latrodectus includes the widely known black widows, notorious because of the extreme potency of their neurotoxic venom. The genus has a worldwide distribution and comprises 30 currently recognized species, the phylogenetic relationships of which were previously unknown. Several members of the genus are synanthropic, and are increasingly being detected in new localities, an occu...

Black widow spiders (members of the genus Latrodectus) are widely feared because of their potent neurotoxic venom. α-Latrotoxin is the vertebrate-specific toxin responsible for the dramatic effects of black widow envenomation. The evolution of this toxin is enigmatic because only two α-latrotoxin sequences are known. In this study, ~4 kb α-latrotoxin sequences and their homologs were characteri...

Black widow spiders (Latrodectus mactans) are found throughout the US. Though bites are relatively uncommon, they pose a significant health problem with over 2500 reported to American poison control centers annually. Black widow spider bites cause a characteristic envenomation syndrome consisting of severe pain, muscle cramping, abdominal pain, and back pain. The significant pain associated wit...

BACKGROUND Latrodectism, a syndrome caused by Latrodectus genus, is one of the clinical problems that occur predominantly in north east of Iran. Nowadays antivenom therapy has become the most useful treatment for animal bites; however there is still a controversy about route and time of antivenom administration in spider bite. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of specif...

During the summer period 2011-2012, seven widow spider bites in Greece were reported to the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Widow spiders (in the genus Latrodectus) are found all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the US. Alpha-latrotoxin (main mammalian toxin) causes the toxic effects observed in humans. Victims should receive timely medical care...

Las arañas son artrópodos venenosos de distribución mundial, debido a su adaptabilidad y presencia en zonas tanto rurales como urbanas. Se establecieron objetivos determinar los caracteres morfológicos más resaltantes, mencionar las características diferenciales con otros animales ponzoñosos, identificar tres géneros importancia médica conocer distintivos, incluyendo la presentación clínica tra...

Since the 1970s, There have been studies of the venom of Latrodectus sp. spiders, in particular the latrotoxin (LTX) of Latrodectus mactans. Many of the studies were aimed at understanding the action of the venom on the muscular system. Now accepted that LTX is able to generate a calcium-permeable membrane pore and modulate the release of synaptic vesicles that activate a receptor and induce ce...

three threidiid spiders of the genus latrodectus occur in khorasan province: l.tredecimguttatus, l.pallidus, l.dahli. the three are described, their diagnostic features are illustrated, and taxonomic notes are given where possible. spider bites are very common in these regions, so, further notes about the medical importance of these species are given. a dichotomic key to the species of the genu...

background: latrodectism, a syndrome caused by latrodectus genus, is one of the clinical problems that occur predominantly in north east of iran. nowadays antivenom therapy has become the most useful treatment for animal bites; however there is still a controversy about route and time of antivenom administration in spider bite. the aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of speci...