Grandmother dies after being bitten by false widow spider
Pat Gough-Irwin had part of her finger amputated, before she died in hospital
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A grandmother from Hampshire may have become the first victim of Britain’s most venomous spider, after a species of false widow bit her hand and she died days later.
The arachnid bit Pat Gough-Irwin, 60, on the tip of her finger a month ago after it found its way into her home in Aldershot.
As she became concerned by the painful bite, she visited her GP who reportedly told her it was unlikely to cause her serious problems, the Mail on Sunday reported.
But the pain became worse, and she was later admitted to hospital.
Staff at the hospital have since confirmed to the newspaper that they are investigating whether the bite caused Mrs Gough-Irwin’s death, and her family will be meeting with hospital managers. If the creature was the cause, she will become the first known person to have died in the UK as a result of a spider bite.
Related to the deadly black widow spider, 10p-sized false widows leave their victims with painful bites which can become swollen. While some people have reported becoming unconscious after encounters with false widows, no deaths have ever been confirmed.
Dr Tim Cockerill, a presenter on BBC’s Spider House, told the newspaper that the noble false widow is nowhere near as poisonous as the black widow, and its bite is akin to a bee sting.
He added that in most cases, when people die of insect bites it is due to a bacterial infection rather than venom.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments