An infestation of deadly spiders is forcing an Australian hospital to close and move its patients to safe places, according to media reports Thursday.
The hospital in Baralaba, a small town in Queensland, has been plagued by red back spiders for months.
A relative of the black widow, the spider is deadly although its size is barely the size of a pea. It is jet black with a splash of red on their backs.
A bite by the spider can cause severe pain, muscle spasms and ultimately death, although no fatalities have been recorded since an anti-venom was developed in the 1950s.
Attempts to oust the spiders by spraying with pesticides have failed, so patients and staff have to be moved to a nearby medical center to allow a thorough fumigation of the hospital.
"We believe the best way to deal with them, and the safest option for staff and patients, is to have the whole building fumigated so both the spiders and their eggs are killed," said Ellen Palmer, Queensland's rural director of nursing.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article