Did a Florida Man Really Die From a Brown Recluse Bite

Is it possible that a brown recluse spider bit a man in Florida and that he died as a result? Anything is possible. But most spider experts met this news story with skepticism, and rightfully so. Florida Man Dies from Brown Recluse Spider Bite A 62-year-old Lakeland, FL man named Ronald Reese was renovating an old house in August 2013. He told his family that in the course of tearing down the walls and ceiling, he was bitten on the back of his neck by a spider. The next day, he was so ill he had difficulty getting out of bed. Over a 6-month period, his health declined rapidly. He developed an abscess at the site of the alleged bite, became partially paralyzed, and suffered from pneumonia. On February 16th, 2014,  he died. News reports attributed his death to a brown recluse spider bite. Was It a Confirmed Brown Recluse Spider or Not? The mans 89-year-old father, Bill Reese, is quoted as saying the spider was a brown recluse. In the dozens of news articles I read about the case, there was not a single mention of how this spider was identified as a brown recluse. It doesnt appear that anyone saved the spider, nor was the spider sent to an arachnologist for identification. Its not even clear that Bill Reese ever saw the spider himself, and Mr. Reese doesnt claim any  arachnology credentials. Several years ago, Rick Vetter of UC-Riversides Entomology Department offered a challenge to the brown recluse fearing public. He asked people to send him spiders they believed to be brown recluses for identification. After analyzing and identifying 1,779 arachnids submitted from 49 U.S. states, Vetter reported that only 4 brown recluse spiders were identified from outside their known established range. Vetter also notes that of 200 spiders sent to his office by the public during a media-induced brown recluse scare, not a single specimen was actually a brown recluse. So could Ronald or Bill Reese accurately identify a brown recluse spider if they saw one? Maybe, but its doubtful. People often think they know what a brown recluse looks like, but studies show most people wouldnt know a brown recluse if it bit them (which is exactly my point). According to the various news reports, Polk County Medical Examiner Stephen Nelson stated that no tests were performed on Mr. Reese to confirm that he had brown recluse venom in his body. The Medical Examiner concluded Mr. Reeses death was the result of an unintentional injury due to spider envenomation or complications from a spider bite. He did not specify that Mr. Reese died as a result of brown recluse envenomation or complications from a brown recluse bite.  Dr. Nelson noted that Ronald Reeses medical records indicated he was being treated for complications from a spider bite wound on his neck. If a patient is admitted to a hospital and tells his doctors that a spider bit him just before the onset of his symptoms, his medical record will reflect that, but it doesnt mean thats what actually happened. Brown recluse bites are over reported and misdiagnosed by the medical community, and doctors are no less susceptible to the brown recluse hysteria than other people. There is no reported evidence to show that anyone confirmed the identity of the spider in question, or that anyone tested for the presence of Loxosceles venom. Brown Recluse Spiders Dont Live in This Area So, is it likely or even probable  that a man living in Lakeland, Florida would encounter a brown recluse spider in the course of renovating a home?  Lakeland is well outside of the established range of Loxosceles reclusa. Brown recluse spiders do sometimes stow away in moving boxes and are occasionally identified in locations outside their normal range. At least one news reporter interviewed Dr. Logan Randolph, a biology professor at Polk State College, and Dr. Randolph did state that brown recluse spiders are often carried into the state. However, William Kern, Jr. (University of Florida Associate Professor of Urban Entomology) commented on the Ledger.coms coverage of the case  that he has been identifying spiders for the Florida public since 1984, and has never once seen a brown recluse in the state.  Although it is within the realm of possibility that a brown recluse spider could be found in a house in Lakeland, it is highly improbable. Did Brown Recluse Venom Kill Ronald Reese? Lets assume, despite the lack of proof, that Ronald Reese was indeed bitten by a brown recluse spider. Its still not clear that Ronald Reeses health issues and subsequent death  were the result of exposure to Loxosceles venom. News reports state that the bite wound on the back of Reeses neck became infected. An abscess formed and pushed against his spinal cord. Any insect or spider bite can become infected, particularly if its not cleaned properly or if the victim has secondary health issues that make him more susceptible to infections. Brown recluse bites, in the unusual  instances when they do occur, are rarely fatal. When interviewed about the case, biologist Logan Randolph noted In most spider bites, complications arise mostly if theres some secondary factor. If the person has a specific allergic reaction, if their health was compromised in some other manner, or if the bite causes an open wound with a secondary infection. While the chain of events leading to Ronald Reeses death may have started with a spider bite, and possibly even a brown recluse spider bite, its important to state the facts clearly when reporting on such cases. No reports on this case provide proof that a brown recluse spider was involved, or that Loxosceles venom caused Mr. Reeses rapid decline. What we do know is that Mr. Reese developed a lethal infection that impacted his nervous system, and that this infection may have started with an untreated spider bite wound. Theres No Proof That a Florida Man Died from a Brown Recluse Bite The media reports on the death of Ronald Reese of Lakeland, FL fail to provide conclusive proof that he was killed as the direct result of a brown recluse spider bite. Without professional identification of the spider that bit him, and without toxicological evidence of Loxosceles venom in his system, its advisable to be skeptical that this death can be attributed to a brown recluse bite.    Selected media links about  this case: Man ignored fatal brown recluse bite, 23 ABC News, Bakersfield, CA, February 28, 2014. Accessed online March 3, 2014.Fla authorities report rare death from spider bite, Miami Herald via Associated Press, February 27, 2014.  Accessed online March 3, 2014.Spider Bite Kills Florida Man, by  Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience.com, February 28, 2014.  Accessed online March 3, 2014.Brown Recluse Spider Bite Blamed in Lakeland Mans Death, by Stephanie Allen, The Ledger, February 26, 2014. Accessed online March 3, 2014.Spider bite blamed in Lakeland mans death, by Stephanie Allen, Daytona Beach News-Journal, February 27, 2014. Accessed online March 3, 2014. Disclaimer: The author is not a medical doctor or health care professional. The author did not examine Ronald Reeses medical records, nor read the coroners report about his death. The authors analysis of this case is strictly limited to the details reported by the news media, and  whether this information seems accurate in light of what is known about brown recluse spiders, their biology, and their range.

Globalization and Its Affect on Racism - 1528 Words

Globalization and its Effect on Racism Racism, in the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior, and, The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. The essence of both definitions seems to be that specific characteristics are used to segregate people into different levels of superiority. While the truth behind this grouping and subsequent segregation is arguable, it is generally accepted that doing this is wrong. The first thing that tends to come†¦show more content†¦The white settlers’ idea is investment, resource exploitation and capitalism all of which were abundant in the South. Global economic interaction encourages the search for economies with promising resource distribution and availability of factors of pr oduction. Africans readily provided cheap manual labor readily on the White settler’s farms (Dikotter) Historic and contemporary examples indicate a global capitalist system that exploits workers on the basis of color and where workers of favored racialized labor groups receive privileges which the colored segregated racial groups are denied. As global economic boundaries widen, the concept of capitalism continues to spread the ideals of exploitation and oppression on which it thrives and represent the interest of the superior racial group while partial discrimination works against the colored race. Capitalism is a colorblind system that has not just spread globally but also influenced racial lines that favor white supremacy to the detriment of the colored groups. There are still other reasons behind the spread and continued practice of racism in the global context. Racial discrimination has also spread as a result of migration amongst certain groups in the context of globalization. With the rapid economic, political, social and cultural unification of the entire globe, the aspect of people from different poles converging at unlikely bearings. ThisShow MoreRelatedDoes Globalization Contibute To Sustainable Prosperity For All People?960 Words   |  4 Pages Globalization has both benefits and disadvantages. Whether one outweighs the other depends on the person answering the question. However, within this essay is why the advantages can outweigh the disadvantages if society begins to play their cards right and not abuse the chances we have to achieve sustainable prosperity for all. But if the world continues the way it is going now, destroying the earth and each other, the disadvantages can quickly take over and ruin everybody. 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Changing Times free essay sample

This paper examines the changes in the womens movements in Spanish speaking countries. This paper presents an in-depth study of the changing roles of Spanish speaking females over the last thirty years in their native nations. The author examines women movements and changes in Mexico and Latin America over the past three decades and discusses what has changed and what has remained constant. During the last 30 years the womens movement in the United States of America revolutionized the way women were treated. Women get more pay, they get more rights, and they are moving into careers that were formally reserved for men. While the world watched the American movement other movements began to take place. Hispanic women have historically been treated like second-class citizens in many areas of life. In Latin nations as well as Mexico the females have been given a different set of rules to abide by both socially and economically. We will write a custom essay sample on Changing Times or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The last thirty years in these nations have tested the very core of the value systems that have been in place for hundreds and thousands of years. The systems have been supported and founded in the belief that men are somehow better than women and that women are there for the comfort of men. This is not to say that they were not treated with kindness and appreciation, they were, they were just not treated as equals in many areas of their societies.

Soul Food Soundtrack free essay sample

For an exceptional CD, you should purchase the Soul Food soundtrack. Not only does this CD include slow jams sung by hot new artists, but it also has fast beat songs. You dont have to have seen the movie to enjoy the soundtrack, you just need taste for different varities of music. I would recommend this CD for anyone who likes some easy listening and occasionally a song you can tap your feet to. The CD includes songs from Blackstreet, En Vogue, Milestone, Monica Usher, Outlast, Tony Toni Toni and songs by platinum gold artists including Boyz II Men, Puff Daddy, Total and Exscape. A good percentage of the songs are (or were) number one hits. After hearing about this great CD, you should run to the nearest store and purchase it. Believe me, you wont regret it. Most likely youll end up convincing your friends to get it, or be careful, they might ask to borrow yours. We will write a custom essay sample on Soul Food Soundtrack or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Yikes! Who can live without their Soul Food soundtrack? Not me! .