Spider bites man on plane; his leg 'bursts open'

A British attorney is suing Qatar Airways after a spider bite he received on a flight in South Africa nearly cost him his leg.

The flesh-eating venom from a brown recluse spider whose bite caused a "small, sharp pain" turned barrister John Hogg's leg black.

Initially, he didn't think much of the injury.

"I turned on the light and clearly saw a spider running across the floor before hearing two stewardesses screaming 'Spider!', but I wasn't sure if I had been bitten as it really wasn't very painful," Hogg told the Telegraph.

But the next day his leg swelled up like a sausage and  turned black. He needed immediate medical attention.

By the time he reached a hospital, the leg was "bursting open" with pus.

Doctors were able to save the limb, but Hogg had to undergo three operations and a skin graft. An avid kickboxer and soccer player, he fears he may never play his sports again.

A British attorney is suing Qatar Airways after a spider bite he received on a flight in South Africa nearly cost him his leg.

The flesh-eating venom from a brown recluse spider whose bite caused a "small, sharp pain" turned barrister John Hogg's leg black.
Initially, he didn't think much of the injury.

"I turned on the light and clearly saw a spider running across the floor before hearing two stewardesses screaming 'Spider!', but I wasn't sure if I had been bitten as it really wasn't very painful," Hogg told the Telegraph.

But the next day his leg swelled up like a sausage and  turned black. He needed immediate medical attention.

By the time he reached a hospital, the leg was "bursting open" with pus.
Doctors were able to save the limb, but Hogg had to undergo three operations and a skin graft. An avid kickboxer and soccer player, he fears he may never play his sports again.

"It was a right mess. They told me if I had been any later I would have lost my leg or even died. It was terrifying," the 40-year-old lawyer said.

The Telegraph included a gruesome photo of the wound. Those with strong stomachs can see it here.
Hogg, on an extended vacation from work, had volunteered at an orangutan sanctuary in Borneo before traveling to South Africa in June to dive with sharks.

He says Qatar Airways has refused to accept responsibility for the spider bite.
Recluse spiders, which have six eyes and a violin marking on their back, can be found around the world, including in the United States. The spider's venom is potentially deadly, but it usually bites only when pressed against the skin, such as when tangled within clothes or bedding.