• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Dad hospitalized after being bitten by spider that caused flesh-rotting disease

Home> News> World News

Published 16:57 14 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Dad hospitalized after being bitten by spider that caused flesh-rotting disease

Zachary Harakas ended up in hospital after a spider bite led to severe complications

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

A man ended up in hospital after being bitten by a spider - but not for the reason that you might think.

It was just a regular day for Zachary Harakas, who had been out gardening in his backyard when he felt a spider bite his right leg - which he says is something that 'nobody thinks about'.

Over the following days, however, the dad-of-three from Missouri in the US saw some alarming changes.

Zachary Harakas from Missouri had to be rushed to hospital (GoFundMe)
Zachary Harakas from Missouri had to be rushed to hospital (GoFundMe)

Advert

He noticed that his leg had begun to swell and in an even more disturbing development, his leg was beginning to turn green and rot, The Daily Mail reports.

Zachary was then rushed to hospital where medics realised that was suffering from necrotizing fasciitis - which is a rare condition where tissue starts to die after getting infected with 'flesh-eating' bacteria.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, insect bites are amongst the causes of the condition, including scrapes, burns or cuts, and puncture wounds.

And 'time is of the essence' when receiving such a diagnosis, according to

Advert

Dr Andrew Benedict, the surgery program director at Saint Luke's hospital, so medics had to act quick to save Zachary's leg.

Doctors initially thought Zachary had been bitten by a brown recluse spider. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Doctors initially thought Zachary had been bitten by a brown recluse spider. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

This meant removing chunks of dead tissue from his leg in an attempt to isolate the infection. He also ended up staying in the hospital for a week and receiving multiple surgeries to rebuild his leg, KSHB reports.

Dr Benedict said that he came in 'extremely sick'.

Advert

He continued to say: “The initial thought was, could this be a brown recluse spider bite? Sometimes spider bites can cause a local reaction, and it can cause actually death of the skin.

"In Zachary's case, it didn't cause death of the skin. It just caused death of the tissue underneath the skin."

While Zachary is recovering and doctors say it won't impact him much in the long run, they added that had he been brought in one day later, he might not have survived the ordeal.

He has been in and out of surgery (KSHB)
He has been in and out of surgery (KSHB)

Advert

Benedict said: “He should have no loss of motor function. For example, he should be able to walk and live a normal life."

Zachary was left shaken up by the ordeal, telling KSHB: “Just outside, in the outside world, spider bite, nobody thinks about a spider bite."

In addition to his health, Zachary has also been left worrying about his cleaning business.

He said: “It's not that I don't appreciate this vacation, but so I own a small company, and with me in here, there's no income because I can't be out there making it."

Advert

Zachary's family have since set up a GoFundMe to support him while he is unable to work.

Calling the ordeal 'life altering', they wrote: "Zachary will be in the hospital and out of work for weeks, possibly months, and will require plastic surgery to completely close the wound later down the road."

So far, the post has hit $3,000 of it's $10,000 goal - you can donate here.

Featured Image Credit: 41 KSHB / GoFundMe

Topics: News, US News, Animals, Health

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • Prime VideoPrime Video
    5 hours ago

    ‘Haunting’ Prime Video series with 98% ratings is your perfect weekend binge watch

    'Has me hooked'

    Film & TV
  • Ukraine Armed Forces — 58th Separate Motorized Infantry BrigadeUkraine Armed Forces — 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade
    12 hours ago

    Unbelievable footage shows moment Ukraine blows up two key Russian bridges using their own mines amid WW3 fears

    A Ukrainian brigade confirmed the attack took place on August 23 - days after Trump met with Russian President Putin

    News
  • FREDERIC J. BROWN/GettyFREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty
    12 hours ago

    Family sues Elon Musk’s Tesla after alleging Cybertruck owner’s bones disintegrated in inferno after crash

    Michael Sheehan, 47, became trapped inside his Cybertruck when the battery burst into flames

    News
  • ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/GettyANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Getty
    12 hours ago

    Four bizarre reasons people thought Trump had died as he’s pictured for the first time since rumors broke internet

    The US President was pictured on the South Lawn in the capital on Saturday

    News
  • Two dead after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from eating oysters as 22 cases reported in US state
  • Terrifying moment influencer livestreams himself being bitten by snake and admitted to ICU
  • Urgent health warning issued after pigs with 'neon blue' flesh are discovered in one specific part of the US
  • Warning issued as first case of travel-associated flesh-eating parasite confirmed in the US