Genetics of brown recluse spider bites

Recluse spiders live in the mid-south region of the United States. The area covers 15 states from Nebraska to Ohio, and Texas to Florida. The brown recluse spider is the most common. These spiders have a distinct violin pattern on their back. When recluse spiders bite, they inject venom, or poison. For most people, only the area near the bite is affected. But, for some, the reaction is much worse. It can be systemic, or system-wide. Symptoms include fever, nausea, muscle aches and feeling tired. In a handful of people, the bites could be life-threatening. Blood cells may rupture and/or have trouble clotting. A chemical in the venom of recluse spiders can cause blood cells to rupture. But, this only happens in a small number of people. So, scientists at Vanderbilt think that other medical conditions may be a factor. They also think genetics may play a part. They will use BioVU to find people bitten by recluse spiders. They will check to see if the patients had any other conditions. These other conditions may affect how the body reacts to the bite. The scientists will also check for any gene changes. They want to find out if gene changes affect how the body reacts too. The goal is to figure out why some people have bad reactions and others do not. The results of this study may help us predict how someone might react to a recluse spider bite. It might also help doctors learn new ways to treat those who have a bad reaction.