Overview
- EsSalud reports 2,084 bite cases nationwide from 2020–2025, including 1,632 patients admitted through emergency services.
- Arequipa, La Libertad, Lima and Ica show the highest incidence, with adults 30–59 most affected and more than 290 cases in children ages 0–11.
- Alarm symptoms requiring immediate evaluation include violaceous swelling at the bite site, fever with chills, intense abdominal pain, and dark cola-colored urine.
- First-aid guidance advises keeping calm, applying ice around the wound, washing with soap and water, elevating the limb, avoiding creams or menthols, and seeking urgent medical care.
- The reclusive brown spider with a violin-shaped dorsal mark hides in dark household spaces and becomes more active in summer, so officials urge frequent cleaning, shaking out clothing and shoes, and keeping beds away from walls.