Cruises can be relaxing and enjoyable. Colin Blake, a man from Northumberland in England, was delighted to be on a 35th anniversary cruise in France, celebrating with his wife. He tried to ignore his ever-growing swollen purple toe but eventually went to the doctor onboard.
It was a good thing he did because it turns out he had been bitten by a Peruvian wolf spider. The eight legged creature even laid eggs. Colin received follow-up care when he got back home, which uncovered another surprise.
Colin believes he was bitten when eating al fresco in Marseille, France. He is not certain because he did not feel anything. This particular species of spider numbs its victims before it nibbles away. Peruvian wolf spiders are often found in French port cities because they stow away on ships from South America.
When Colin visited the medical team on board the ship, they cut his toe open. Pus flowed out, which contained something that looked like leaves. These were actually eggs, which were cleaned out.
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When Colin returned back home to the UK, he was admitted to the hospital and given antibiotics. When the swelling went down, he could even see the bite marks. He is expected to make a full recovery but the story did not end there.
Four weeks after the initial bite, Colin’s toe swelled up again so he went back to the doctor. Turns out, one egg got left behind and hatched. Thankfully, the spider was dead. The doctor cut open the toe again and removed it but wouldn’t let Colin keep the spider as a souvenir like he wanted to.
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