From the point of view of the presence of dangerous species, Italy is to be considered a rather safe country . The most serious risks can occur in the event of a face-to-face encounter with a viper or with a couple of species of spiders that can trigger various health problems, especially if we are genetically predisposed to suffer from their poisons.

Nothing to do with Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas, where they have an endless list of lethal creatures: vipers, rattlesnakes, discoveries, spiders, scolopendras and even fish, sea snails and poisonous polyps.

However, even if very limited, it is  good to know the potential faunal risks of our home . Generally these creatures live deep in the woods, but in exceptional cases, they can approach urban centers . To be more specific, it seems in fact that the cases of sighting of the violin spider, scientific name Loxosceles rufescens , are increasing .

The violin spider and its bite

It is a small spider , from 7 to 13 millimeters depending on the sex, of a yellowish brown color with a violin-shaped spot on the abdomen, a lover of the warm season, therefore used to being outdoors in summer and indoors in winter .

Poisonous but not aggressive in nature, it can become dangerous if threatened . Its sting is not immediately painful but has medium and long-term consequences: burning, swelling and redness are always present.

In case of allergy or excessive sensitivity, necrotic processes can be triggered on the affected tissues , resulting in epidermal ulcers. In more serious cases, both muscle and kidney damage can occur, sometimes even heart and lung damage . However, cases of death in Italy remain very rare.