Asian Worker in RAK Hospital after Red Spider Bite.

Summary: RAS AL KHAIMAH / AL GHARBIA u An Asian worker was hospitalised on Sunday after a poisonous red spider bit him on the arm in Sham area, 30 kilometres north of Ras Al Khaimah City.

An eye witness and a resident of Sham said the victim who works with an Electric Company in Ras Al Khaimah was sleeping at his home in the morning, when a red spider sneaked into his bed and bit his left arm.

His roommates rushed the victim to Sham hospital after his arm started to swell severely where he was treated before he was transferred to Saqr Government Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah.

Doctors at Saqr hospital diagnosed the victim's swollen arm and found out that the red spider left poisonous substances inside the arm of the Asian after biting him which led to the swelling.

The doctors said the victim has been put on treatment and his condition is expected to get better shortly.

Residents of Sham have reportedly complained of red spiders and other dangerous insects near their homes.

Rashid Abul Aziz, who resides in Sham said several insects including red and black spiders, flies, mosquitoes and other dangerous insects are rampant especially with summer approaching.

"Some of these insects are very dangerous and can seriously harm people's lives. Other insects like flies and mosquitoes can also transmit dangerous diseases, " said Abdul Aziz.

He noted that they have lodged their complaints to the concerned authorities in RAK Municipality but nothing has been done to tackle the situation.

A senior official from the Environmental and Health Department at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said they started spraying insecticides in the different areas of the emirate including areas of Sham since February in order to eradicate the insects but their spraying team had not yet reached to certain areas.

Harmless

In Al Gharbia, a red spider found inside the bathroom of a house in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi prompted the Al Gharbia Municipality to send out a taskforce to assess how dangerous the spider is.

The home of Yaqoub Yousouf Al Hammadi, an Emirati, where the spider was found, became the taskforce scene on Sunday as they set about containing the situation, ensuring the safety of occupants and nearby residents.

Aiysha Al Hammadi, director of Planning and Population Relations Department, said the taskforce caught the spider and sent it to the laboratories of Madinat Zayed to check how venomous the spider was.

"Once the matter was reported, the Municipality taskforce visited the house, caught the spider and sprayed the whole house, the garden and the adjacent vicinities," said Aiysha al Hammadi.

Al Hammadi said the measures taken were precautionary in case the spider proved to be poisonous.

Madinat Zayed Laboratories Director Sayyid Tanweer said the results showed the spider was not poisonous.

Tanweer said that there were many types of red spiders, but not all of them are venomous and only one type endangers human lives.

The pest control in charge in Al Marfa city said, "The preliminary inspection showed that repairs were made on the fence.

"Such repairs would have forced the spiders to come out."

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