How serious is a tarantula bite and how should it be treated?

Hi,

I'm planning an expedition to the Caribbean, and am currently putting together a risk assessment and first aid plan.

I'm going to the forests of Tobago, where there are tarantulas (and scorpions and non venomous snakes).

If someone does get bitten/gets some of the tarantula hairs in their skin, what should I do?

How long does the pain last? Will they need to go back to the guesthouse? Do they need to go to hospital? There's also a local medical centre in the village, but I dont think it has a full time doctor, just a nurse.

We are going to carry anithistamine tablets, cream and an Epipen.

Thanks in advance for your help

Tarantulas are the least of your worries. I'd be more worried about mosquito bites.Tarantulas don't attack. If you mess with one and piss it off, it will warn you before it bite by raising its front legs and presenting it's fangs. Tarantulas also kick hairs off of their abdomen as a defense. when they get in the pores of your skin, it itches like hell. It goes away after you wash . I used to own pet tarantulas. they are pretty much harmless to humans.

Encourage bleeding to wash out the puncture wounds from within, then clean the bite site with soap and water and protect it against infection. As with other puncture wounds, antiseptics may be of limited use since they may not penetrate to the full depth of a septic wound, so wounds should be monitored for heat, redness, or other signs of infection. Skin exposures to the urticating hairs can be treated by applying and then pulling off some sticky tape such as duct tape, which carries the hairs off with it.

If any breathing difficulty or chest pain occurs, go to a hospital as this may indicate an anaphylactic reaction. As with bee stings, the allergic reaction may be many times more dangerous than the toxic effects of the venom. If this occurs an EpiPen (an autoinjector of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline) should be administered as soon as possible, as complete airway blockage can occur within 20 minutes of exposure to the allergen.

I agree...bite's not really what to worry about, you really have to tick the spider off, I'm reading...ya, definitely benadryl cream, an epipen.

The hairs are an irritant, something the tarantula uses to scare predators away, if they get on your skin the best way to stop the irritation is to rinse them off, then maybe some benadryl cream to stop any further itching...

Breathing them in will cause some minor pulmonary distress, don't worry about it, it won't be pleasant, but your body's defense systems will get them out (maybe an expectorant (you're body is going to try to move the hairs out by coating them in mucus) and some benadryl for the discomfort).

If they get in your eyes, you definitely want to irrigate with CLEAN water or sterile saline...no stream water ( :P ), they should sell ocular irrigation kits in stores or online.

I think the most important thing is to know where the nearest medical center is, and to just be careful! Have fun!

Med Student