Abstract
Introduction: Tarantulas of the genus Poecilotheria is a medically important arthropod in Sri Lanka and is also found in India. The purpose of this study is to explain the epidemiological and clinical features of tarantula bites in Sri Lanka.
method:
From February 2021, we conducted a prospective observational study of tarantula bites patients in two hospitals in Sri Lanka, in medical and pediatric wards for over five years. Data were collected using interviewer-driven surveys.
result:
There were 17 patients with tarantula bites, of which 15 were adults and two were children. Median adult age was 47 years (range 26-62 years). Most were males (12/17) and were bitten during the day (14/17), small jungle (8/17), and feet (8/17). Most (11/17) were admitted to a medical facility within an hour of the bite. Sixteen of the 17 patients developed localized enlightening features, including 15 localized pain, 13 localized swelling, erythema at the site of a bite in 5, and itching in 4. Three of the 17 people generalized muscle pain, and four found to have painful muscle cramps.
Conclusion:
Tarantula bites from the genus Poecilotheria often cause local enlightenment effects, but few patients develop muscle pain or painful muscle convulsions.
Rathnayaka, Rmmkn, & Ranathunga, Pean (2025). Clinical epidemiology of tarantula (Poecilotheria spp. ) Bite in Sri Lanka. Clinical Toxicology, 63(2), 112–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2024.2446555
