Woman bitten by rare species of spider in Debra

Kolkata: Tension ran high among the villagers of Debra in West Midnapore after a woman was bitten by a rare species of spider, once again revisiting the fear of Tarantula in the state. The victim, Mamata Patra Santra, a resident of Raghunathpur village has been undergoing treatment in Debra Superspecialty hospital.

Locals claimed that a Tarantula spider had bitten the victim. After being informed, the forest department officials reached the spot and recovered the spider. The insect had stung her hand following which it had swollen. The doctors have, however, said that the patient's condition is stable. Tarantula is a species of spider that is commonly found in South America and Africa. Senior officials from the district health and forest department on Sunday visited the district to assess the situation. The forest department officials have started an investigation to identify the insect that had bitten the villager and where it had come from.

The district administration suspects that the insect came from the adjacent areas of the Kasai river. Though, the forest department officials are yet to identify the insect, it has alrea dy brought back the fear of Tarantula in the villages of West Midnapore district. They suspect that this could be a poisonous spider. According to the villagers, the insect that stung the victim is furry and looks almost like Tarantula.

The patient has been given antibiotics. According to a forest department official, there is no fear of death in such cases. There are 100 types of Tarantula in the world. They are found Africa, South America, some parts of Asia and Australia.