The Blush Spider Health Warning Email Alert Is A Hoax

Last significant update: 13 October, 1999

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

Thanks to LakeStar for first bringing this to our attention on 15 September, 1999.

Here's one that seems headed for urban myth status -- total nonsense, of course. For a debunk, see:

• The Snopes Urban Myths page (leaving our site) -- they have other excellent information there as well.
  or
  

• The University of California Department of Entomology page (leaving our site) Thanks to George Hammond for the latter URL.

Here is the text of the hoax, with a comment or two thrown in from me.

> Here's another little something for you to worry about....
> An article by Dr. Beverly Clark, in the Journal of the United Medical
> Association (JUMA), the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has
> been solved.  If you haven't already heard about it in the news, here
> is what happened.

Obviously an attempt to play on the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

> Three women in Chicago, turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period,
> all with the same symptoms.  Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by
> muscular collapse, paralysis, and finally, death.  There were no
> outward signs of trauma.  Autopsy results showed toxicity in the
> blood.
> 
> These women did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in
> common.  It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the
> same restaurant (Big Chappies, at Blare Airport), within days of
> their deaths.  The health department descended on the restaurant,
> shutting it down.  The food, water, and air conditioning were all
> inspected and tested, to no avail.

> The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to
> the hospital with similar symptoms.  She told doctors that she had
> been on vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her
> check.  She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used
> the restroom.
> 
> That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read,
> drove out to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the
> toilet seat.  Under the seat, out of normal view, was small
> spider.  The spider was captured and brought back to the lab, where
> it was determined to be the South American Blush Spider (arachnius
> gluteus), so named because of its reddened flesh color.  This
> spider's venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days to take
> effect.  They live in cold, dark, damp, climates, and toilet rims
> provide just the right atmosphere.

> Several days later a lawyer from Los Angeles showed up at a hospital
> emergency room.  Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had
> been away on business, had taken a flight from New York, changing
> planes in Chicago, before returning home.  He did not visit Big
> Chappies while there.  He did, as did all of the other victims, have
> what was determined to be a puncture wound, on his right buttock.
> 
> Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in
> South America.  The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an
> immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights from South America,
> and discovered the Blush spider's nests on 4 different planes!
> 
> It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country.
> So please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for
> spiders.  It can save your life!  And please pass this on to everyone
> you care bout-

I have a sneaking suspicion that this hoaxter meant this as a joke, but failed miserably because s/he didn't realise that folks panic rather than take the time to analyse this sort of thing. :-(

Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.

Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax. For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/blush-spider.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).

   -BPB

visits to this page since 13 October, 1999 22:07 EDT