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Telamonia Spider
A spider bite...please
read...........
And you thought the brown
recluse was bad!!!
Three women in North
Florida , turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all with the
same symptoms. Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular
collapse, paralysis, and finally, death. There were no outward signs
of trauma. Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women
did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common.
It was discovered,
however, that they had all visited the same Restaurant (Olive
Garden) within days of their deaths. The health department descended
on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water, and air
conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail.
The big break came when a
waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the hospital with similar
symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on vacation, and had
only went to the restaurant to pick up her check. She did not eat or
drink while she was there, but had used the restroom. That is when
one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove out to
the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat.
Under the seat, out of
normal view, was a small spider. The spider was captured and brought
back to the lab, where it was determined to be the Two-Striped
Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata), so named because of its reddened
flesh color. This spider's venom is extremely toxic, but can take
several days to take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp climates,
and toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere.
Several days later a
lawyer from Jacksonville showed up at a hospital emergency room.
Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away on
business, had taken a flight from Indonesia , changing planes in
Singapore , before returning home. He did not visit (Olive Garden),
while there. He did, as did all of the other victims, have what was
determined to be a puncture wound, on his right buttock.
Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in
India.
The Civilian Aeronautics
Board (CAB) ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all
flights from India, and discovered the Two-Striped Telamonia
(Telamonia dimidiata) spider's nests on 4 different planes!
It is now believed that
these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So please, before you
use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders. It can save
your life!
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