Spider bite left me in a coma for 4 DAYS with rotting flesh… signs Brits should look for as summer invasion begins

WHEN Peter Murphy, 61, moved a “strange” spider from his bed, carefully picking it up and placing it outside, he didn’t think much of it. But three days later, he was rushed to hospital where doctors discussed amputating his arm, as a flesh-eating bug ravaged through his body. Peter Murphy, 61, was rushed to hospital after a spider bite led to a flesh-eating bug ravaging his body Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity Peter’s ordeal started after he picked up what he describes as a ‘see-through skeletal body with red eyes’ from his bed Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity The spider, Peter says, had a “see-through skeletal body with red eyes”, though he never discovered the species. “The symptoms started on a Saturday morning and seemed very minor with just a little redness on the forehand with a slight niggly pain,” says Peter. “Later that evening, while I was out with a friend, the redness started to spread slightly, the pain worsened and it started to swell. “I got off the bus in slight drizzly rain and got into my wife’s car, and my whole body started to tremble. “I got home and went to bed. The next day, Sunday, I felt pretty tired and out of it and spent most of it sleeping.” As the QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment) manager, from Mansfield, got up for work on Monday morning, things took a turn for the worse. “I got up to go to work but found myself not being able to put two words together,” says Peter. “My speech was very slurred and I felt like the life had been drained out of me.” His wife of 20 years, Toni, 62, didn’t hesitate to rush him to A&E. Doctors feared Peter had necrotising fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease. It occurs when bacteria enters the body and then releases toxins in the deepest layers of the skin, cutting off blood supply to tissues. In the UK, spiders do not carry venom. However, any puncture wound in the skin can, in rare cases, allow for bacteria to enter the body. “Various doctors were discussing the symptoms with me and my wife,” says Peter. “They learned about the spider bite and thought that the diagnosis was necrotising fasciitis. “They needed to contain and get [the infection] under control very quickly, or it would rapidly move to other parts of my body. “The doctors seemed very worried. I could sense it was life-threatening, but [I] felt helpless.” The last thing he heard was doctors advising Toni that if the infection continued to travel up his arm, they would need to amputate. “At this point, my life was flashing before my eyes,” says Peter. “I turned to Toni, managed a smile, and said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to make it through this. This could be goodbye’. The shock of it all was overwhelming.” Peter’s experience led him and wife, Toni, to turn their lives around. They lost 10st between them on Slimming World Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity In the UK, spiders do not carry venom but any puncture wound in the skin can allow for bacteria to enter the body Credit: HHelene Peter was placed in a coma for four days while doctors operated, making incisions from his fingertips to his shoulder and flushing out the virus. He woke up to an open wound across his hand. “As I looked around, I first noticed my arm was intact. But still feeling very drowsy, I glanced at the clock and calendar, thinking where had the last three days just gone? “During this time my wife had not been able to visit me in hospital because she had seen the doctor with a throat infection, diagnosed as strepticocus, possibly related to the virus that I had been diagnosed with.” Peter was also diagnosed with severe cellulitis, when bacteria infects deep layers of the skin, and sepsis, a life-threatening condition that kills 48,000 Brits a year. Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive and starts attacking healthy tissue, causing organ failure and potentially limb loss. Over 100 Brits were treated for spider bites and related toxic effects in England, in 2025 – double the number treated a decade ago. And householders need to be on their guard as the late summer, early autumn mating season means more spiders will be seen in our homes soon. Peter had a long road to recovery, but once he was feeling better, he had a skin graft on the wound on his hand, using skin from his thigh. Months of physiotherapy slowly helped Peter regain movement in his hand, learning to do every day tasks once more. “I went from being able to only slightly move my fingertips to moving my hand freely again with just a little numbness. “Learning to use a knife and fork again and do buttons up was quite an experience.” How Peter’s hand looked as it started to become infected after the spider bite Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity Peter woke up from a four-day coma to find that his arm had been sliced at to remove dying tissue Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity Peter needed skin from his thigh grafted onto his arm (pictured during this process) Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity My life was flashing before my eyes, says Peter Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity Peter says today, all his symptoms have disappeared and he is “fully recovered”. “Reflecting on what happened puts me through every emotion [possible],” he says. “From thinking that I might not see my family again, or my [seven] little grandchildren grow up, to the pain of rehabilitation. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, even though it didn’t seem like that at the time. “No matter how trivial your symptoms might be, ensure you act quickly and give the professional medical teams time to react. “I really didn’t expect something that seemed so trivial to result in me nearly losing my life. “But maybe it was that which helped me – with a little push from my wife – to get my life back into good health.” The near-death experience prompted Peter and Toni to join Slimming World at the start of 2025, weighing 20st 7lb and 13st 7lb, respectively. Between them, after just one year, they had lost an impressive 10st 2lb between them – Toni losing 3st 7lbs and Peter dropping 6st 9lbs. Peter and Toni are also supporting Slimming World’s charity, SMILES, which raises funds for various causes, including Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. So far, they’ve raised £500 for the charity through sponsored events. Peter says the spider bite changed their attitude to life, adding: “We said goodbye to our worries about dying and said hello to living.” Find the fundraiser here Peter had a long road to recovery, but has now regained movement in his hand Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity The near-death experience prompted Peter and Toni to lose weight at the start of 2025, weighing 20st 7lb and 13st 7lb, respectively Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity Pictured now, the couple are grabbing life by the horns Credit: Jam Press/SMILES charity HOW TO DEAL WITH BUG BITES AND WHEN TO CALL 999 YOU may think dangerous critters are reserved for Down Under. But in the UK, bites can be nasty too, and there are plenty of creepy crawlies ready to give them. Most are harmless and clear up on their own, and thankfully, no UK-bugs carry high-risk venom. But they can still prove deadly if infection takes hold. “A lot of how you react to a bite or sting comes down to how your immune system responds,” says Craig Watt, Superdrug’s Pharmacy Director. “Children often react more noticeably, and people who have allergies, eczema or a history of stronger reactions.” WASPS AND BEES YOU’LL get a sharp pain at first, followed by redness, swelling and itching around the sting site. Craig says: “With a bee sting, you might even see the stinger left behind in the skin. “Remove it carefully by scraping or brushing the stinger sideways if one has been left behind, gently wash the area, apply a cold compress and try not to scratch it. “Antihistamines can help with itching and swelling.” Seek urgent care if swelling spreads significantly beyond the sting site, such as up the arm. MOSQUITO MOZZIES are most active around dawn and dusk, in warm weather and around stagnant. “The best defence is a good insect repellent,” says Craig – at least 50 per cent DEET. “Reapply regularly and cover up where possible.” Avoid scratching – especially with dirty hands, which can lead to infection. A cold compress, tea tree balm and antihistamines can distract you from the itch. If you’ve recently returned from travel abroad – where bites are more likely – and develop a fever, severe headaches, muscle aches or chills, seek medical advice immediately to rule out diseases like malaria or dengue. TICKS LONG grass is often home to these tiny blood-sucking bugs. “Many people only realise they’ve been bitten when they spot the tick attached to their skin after a walk,” says Craig. The tick needs to be removed carefully using a tick removal tool, not tweezers. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, which affects up to 4,000 people each year in England and Wales. Visit your GP if you notice an expanding “bullseye” rash (a red ring around a lighter patch of skin) up to a month after a bite, or flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches and fatigue. If Lyme disease is left untreated (with antibiotics), it can cause severe, lifelong health problems. Wear long trousers when walking in rural areas and check skin when you return home. SPIDERS A COUPLE of native spiders to the UK can leave a noticeable bite – noble false widow spiders, mostly in southern England, and cupboard spiders, also known as the brown house spider. But it’s rare, and usually when a spider is in defence mode. “Spider bites often appear as puncture marks, also accompanied by redness, swelling and pain,” says Craig. Clean and cool the area and try antihistamines if the bite is itchy. Contact a doctor if the pain or swelling worsens significantly after 24 hours. Symptoms like blistering, dizziness, nausea, sweating, cold chills, or muscle spasms could suggest infection. WARNING SIGNS See a pharmacist if: Pain or redness worsens/spreads Area feels hot to the touch Bite starts oozing pus (pharmacists can prescribe antibiotics for infected bites) Call 999 Immediately if: Breathing difficulties or pale lips Swelling in the throat, mouth, tongue, or lips Chest pain, severe stomach cramps, or muscle spasms Confusion, drowsiness, or fainting