Overview

• Mark Anthony Kirby, 38, died at his home in Prescot on Aug. 2 after days of illness that followed what his family says was a bite from a spider he bought online.
• His ex-partner said he had purchased five spiders two to three weeks earlier and reported being bitten before a short trip to Scotland, where he felt unwell.
• In the week before his death he experienced temperature swings and aching limbs, then phoned a relative about breathing difficulties before collapsing as paramedics were unable to save him.
• No official cause of death has been confirmed and the species involved has not been clarified in the reporting.
• News outlets note that medically significant spider bites are rare in the U.K., contributing to the uncertainty around the case.