Citation

Newlands G, Atkinson P. S. Afr. Med. J. 1988; 73(4): 235-239.

Affiliation

Department of Entomology, University of Pretoria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, South African Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3277297

Abstract

Medically important spiders in southern Africa are discussed in terms of their morphological features and distribution, the signs and symptoms of envenomation and the possible treatment thereof. A simple pictorial key is provided to enable the non-specialist to identify the neurotoxic and cytotoxic species. The following spiders are now known to be medically important in southern Africa: Latrodectus indistinctus (neurotoxic), Chiracanthium lawrencei (cytotoxic), Loxosceles sp. (cytotoxic) and Sicarius sp. (cytotoxic - haemotoxic).

Language: en