Spring Break
Black Widow Found At Health Center
Maura McHale
Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: News
It was just an ordinary day at work for Sheryl Rosen, a web communications officer at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, until she found a black widow spider hidden in a bag of grapes she had brought from home.
The grapes came from a bag of Autumn Royal black grapes Rosen purchased on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Price Chopper in Newington.
"I took out the grapes, washed them and put them in a sandwich bag to bring to work," Rosen said. "I brought them to work Wednesday, but didn't eat them so I brought them back home and then back to work on Thursday."
When she took the grapes out of the refrigerator to eat at work, she noticed the spider that had been hiding in the bag for days. Although she had never seen a black widow spider in person before, she said she recognized it immediately because she had seen them on TV.
"Right away I saw the red hourglass and that's how I knew," Rosen said.
Instead of emotionally reacting to the poisonous spider before her, Rosen closed the sandwich bag and walked it a few doors down the hallway to the Connecticut Poison Control Center.
"If you Google this, it happens quite often," said Bernard Sangalli, toxicologist and director of the center. "What happened here is more unusual because Rosen works a few doors away."
According to Sangalli, only about 50 percent of people bitten by a black widow spider experience a reaction because spiders do not always inject venom when they bite. He said many people feel no pain from the bite or feel a sharp pin prick at most.
"Young children and the elderly are more susceptible to the venom," Sangalli said. "But it's very unusual for people to be so severely ill that they need supportive treatment, although there is an anti-venom treatment available."
Rosen said Price Chopper called her to apologize after they were contacted by the Department of Public Health and was told their Consumer Services Division would call her, but no one ever did.
"I guess they weren't too happy with me," Rosen said.
Mona Golub, the vice president for public relations and consumer services at Price Chopper, said that the grapes came from California, but that no other incidents have been reported.
"It's scary, but I'm not too concerned," said Kelsey Mangano, a 7th-semester dietetics major and employee at the UConn Health Center. "I think it's just coincidental. Who knows where the spider even came from. I'm just pretty impressed that she stayed calm in the situation."
Rosen admitted it was not a pleasant experience, but said she generally likes insects, just not particularly spiders.
"Bugs don't really bother me," Rosen said. "I kind of like them, but I think I'll stay away."
The grapes came from a bag of Autumn Royal black grapes Rosen purchased on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Price Chopper in Newington.
"I took out the grapes, washed them and put them in a sandwich bag to bring to work," Rosen said. "I brought them to work Wednesday, but didn't eat them so I brought them back home and then back to work on Thursday."
When she took the grapes out of the refrigerator to eat at work, she noticed the spider that had been hiding in the bag for days. Although she had never seen a black widow spider in person before, she said she recognized it immediately because she had seen them on TV.
"Right away I saw the red hourglass and that's how I knew," Rosen said.
Instead of emotionally reacting to the poisonous spider before her, Rosen closed the sandwich bag and walked it a few doors down the hallway to the Connecticut Poison Control Center.
"If you Google this, it happens quite often," said Bernard Sangalli, toxicologist and director of the center. "What happened here is more unusual because Rosen works a few doors away."
According to Sangalli, only about 50 percent of people bitten by a black widow spider experience a reaction because spiders do not always inject venom when they bite. He said many people feel no pain from the bite or feel a sharp pin prick at most.
"Young children and the elderly are more susceptible to the venom," Sangalli said. "But it's very unusual for people to be so severely ill that they need supportive treatment, although there is an anti-venom treatment available."
Rosen said Price Chopper called her to apologize after they were contacted by the Department of Public Health and was told their Consumer Services Division would call her, but no one ever did.
"I guess they weren't too happy with me," Rosen said.
Mona Golub, the vice president for public relations and consumer services at Price Chopper, said that the grapes came from California, but that no other incidents have been reported.
"It's scary, but I'm not too concerned," said Kelsey Mangano, a 7th-semester dietetics major and employee at the UConn Health Center. "I think it's just coincidental. Who knows where the spider even came from. I'm just pretty impressed that she stayed calm in the situation."
Rosen admitted it was not a pleasant experience, but said she generally likes insects, just not particularly spiders.
"Bugs don't really bother me," Rosen said. "I kind of like them, but I think I'll stay away."
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