I've Been Bit! What Do I Do?!
First and foremost, female black widows are the only threat to humans because the male spiders' jaw is too small and they carry less venom. Also, the fact that L. hesperus is more likely to flee than fight is definitely a plus for humans. This is because their venom, which is injected into its victim with every bite, is extremely poisonous. Their venom is a strong neurotoxin which means that it affects nerve tissue (Virginia Cooperative Extension 2010).
When one is bit by a Latrodectus species, that
person is known to have Latrodectism. The actual bite site is very
inconspicuous because it is only two small red dots. The symptoms include local
swelling and eventually intense pain locally and throughout the
surrounding limbs which can further settle in the abdomen region
(Animal Diversity Web 2001).
Fortunately, the spider doesn't inject enough venom into the victim
to fall a healthy adult human but children and the elderly are at
risk. The victims in this age group need to receive immediate
medical attention which can include anti-venom. Though the bite
itself is painful enough, if basic hygienic precautions are not
taken, infection can set in and be a problem in and of itself
(Animal Diversity Web 2001).
One very unfortunate case where a healthy 40 year old male did die from black widow bites can be found here. It is a very rare case because the man was bit 19 times, which isn't usual at all.
If you
or someone you know is bit, even if you are healthy and in your
prime, it's still a good idea to take some precautions.
This
is a
website to get you started and has lots of information
regarding good procedures but it is not a substitution for an actual
health practitioner if a serious reaction starts occurring or if you
are not sure what species of spider did the biting. This
website has information that can help you avoid being bit if you
do live in an area with a Latrodectus population.
A black widow bite is far from the worse kind of spider bite you can
accrue. If you are interested, look up "Brown recluse" in an image
search and what you find may be very disturbing so use caution; the
pictures of their bites are not for the faint of heart! Be
forewarned!