Experts have cast doubt on claims that a white-tail spider bite led to the double amputation of a Filipino tourist's legs in Australia, saying such bites are unlikely to cause severe tissue damage. Terry Pareja, 48, underwent emergency surgery in late February after developing a necrotising skin infection, which his family attributed to a spider bite while visiting relatives in Birchip, Victoria.
Pareja's right leg was amputated at Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham on 27 February, followed by his left leg the next day at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. His brother-in-law, Ray Ogleby, told 3AW that a toxicology report suggested a 'possible spider bite'. However, researchers and arachnologists argue that white-tail spider venom has not been proven to cause necrosis.
A 2003 study of 130 confirmed white-tail spider bites found no cases resulted in necrotic lesions. 'This provides good evidence that necrotic ulcers are unlikely to be a result of white-tail spider bite,' concluded authors Geoffrey Isbister and Michael Gray. Isbister, a University of Newcastle researcher, noted that cases are often misattributed to spiders when no clear diagnosis exists.
Queensland Museum arachnologist Robert Raven described the link as a 'total furphy', pointing out that no Australian spider has necrotic venom and that white-tail spiders' mouths are too small to penetrate human skin. He added that in many reported bites, patients neither saw a spider nor felt a bite. A 2004 study found that 11 cases misattributed to white-tail spiders had alternative diagnoses, including diabetic ulcers and staphylococcal abscesses.
Pareja's daughter has launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover medical costs, stating her father may also face amputation of both arms. The Alfred Hospital confirmed he is in serious but stable condition but declined to comment on the diagnosis.
