A woman from Georgia fell into a coma after being bitten by a brown recluse spider on her breast, FOX News is reporting.  When she woke up from the coma after 11 days, the doctor informed her that surgeons had to remove her breast and the muscles underneath it.

51-year-old Victoria Franklin waited until her breast turned black and began to smell badly before she went to the hospital; by that time the breast was gangrenous.

Brown recluse spiders have distinct markings; a dark colored “violin” appears on the spider’s back and torso.  Indigenous to south central United States, the spiders like dry and dark surroundings; many times they do not come out of hiding until after dark.  In areas where they are prolific, they are referred to as “fiddle backs.”

Surprisingly, venom from a brown recluse is more toxic than rattlesnake venom; however, because of the small quantities injected into the skin during a brown recluse spider bit, it causes less illness than.

 A person might not notice being bitten by a brown recluse until the skin turns red and a blister forms on the bite itself.  Mild or intense pain and itching might occur during the first few hours after the bite.  Several days after the bite, tissue begins to break down (necrosis), according to WebMD.

Necrosis develops because the venom is actually an enzyme that kills cells and cell membranes as it breaks down the tissue and blood vessels surrounding the bite.

Some people are more susceptible to brown recluse spider bites than are others; there are those who experience a systemic reaction to them, resulting in fever, chills, vomiting and joint pain.

There is not anti-venom for brown recluse spider bites in the United States, or Canada.  Treatment includes cold compresses to reduce swelling and Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain.  If the bike becomes infected, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic.

As for Ms. Franklin, she urges the rest of us to be diligent when it comes to brown recluses by having them exterminated.  Although she knew she had brown recluse spiders, she put off having her home exterminated.

If you have box springs, be sure to check and see if there are brown recluses under your mattress.  One Arkansas exterminator claims that he found 29 brown recluses in the box springs of owned by one of his clients.