Black Widow Spider Bites On The Rise In Oklahoma

This year, there have been 30 black widow bites reported to the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information. That's up from 26 in 2017.

“It's generally not life threatening, except in smaller children. And the only ones we've really had to treat more aggressively recently have been small children,” says Medical Director for OK Center for Poison and Drug Information Dr. Bill Banner.

Six children, including four preschoolers, have been treated for spider bites. Several of them went to the hospital, but the bites didn’t cause major complications.

Doctors say in some cases, people may not immediately realize they've been bitten.

Some symptoms of a black widow bite may include:

• Painful abdominal cramps
• Muscle aches
• Swelling of the eyes
• Sweating on the forehead.

If you or someone you know has been bitten by a black widow, you can call 800-222-1222.