A 59-year-old British man from the Isles of Scilly narrowly escaped death after being bitten by a spider just before traveling to Egypt. Nigel Hunt was bitten on the stomach by a spider on August 30, but he initially felt no pain. However, his condition worsened significantly by the time he was traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh. He became seriously ill and had to be taken to a hospital.
Doctors initially identified the wound as an abscess. However, further tests revealed that Hunt had developed necrotising fasciitis, a rare and dangerous flesh-eating infection. This diagnosis was confirmed after an emergency surgery, which was crucial in saving his life. Hunt recalled his ordeal, stating, “On arriving at the airport, I started feeling ill, and things quickly deteriorated from there. At Sharm El Sheikh, we sought help at a pharmacy, but my condition worsened, leading us to a different hospital in Hadaba.”
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The tests identified the bite as being from a false widow or brown recluse spider. Hunt credited his survival to the timely visit to the second hospital. He said, “If I hadn’t gone back within that critical window, I wouldn’t be alive today.” While he is now recovering, Hunt requires frequent wound care and has advised his fellow residents on the Isles of Scilly to be cautious about spider bites.