Skinny-dipping Tourist Bitten on Penis by Venomous Spider

A 22 year old Canadian tourist suffered heart inflammation after he was bitten ‘in the nether regions’ by a venomous katipo spider, an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand, while on a recent holiday. 

Sleeping naked in the dunes after skinny dipping in Northland, Wellington, is not something that would appear life threatening in most peoples minds. However, waking to find his penis swollen and painful with a red mark on the shaft suggestive of a bite, is something that nightmares are made of.

According to the New Zealand Medical Journal, the katipo spider can cause generalized muscle pains, fever, headache, light sensitivity and vomiting.

Dr Nigel Harrison told the New Zealand Herald:

It was a rather nasty, ill-placed bite.

His condition worsened and he developed high blood pressure and chest pains. He was treated with antivenin but his heart problems persisted, resulting in hospital stints at Whangarei and Auckland Hospitals before returning to Canada.

Our anonymous Canadian tourist has the distinction of being the first known person to develop myocarditis – heart inflammation – following a katipo spider bite.

According to the journal report:

He was discharged after a total of 16 days in hospital. On review he was generally well.

Image: Look familiar? The katipo spider is related to two other venomous species of spider: North America’s black widow and Australia’s red back.

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