Man Makes Shocking Claim About Spider Laying Eggs In His Toe On A Cruise

A cruise passenger recently made a shocking discovery about a spider while traveling in Europe.

A man named Colin Blake was on a cruise with his wife when he decided to seek help from the ship's doctor to check out the swelling and discoloration in his toe.

It was revealed that Blake had been bitten by a spider, and shockingly, the spider had also laid eggs in his toe.

Following initial treatment by the ship's medical team, Colin was subsequently admitted to a hospital upon his return to the UK.

In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime, Colin Blake told the strange story of how he discovered that a spider laid eggs in his toe while on a cruise with his wife.

Blake recounted that he and his wife were celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary aboard the travel ship when he noticed a certain discoloration and swelling in one of his toes.

He claimed that his wife initially thought the issue was caused by his new sandals rubbing on his toe. However, upon deciding to consult the ship's doctor, Blake learned that a Peruvian wolf spider had bitten him.

The ship's medical team took action by cutting open Blake's toe, releasing pus that, to their surprise, contained what appeared to be leaves—later identified as spider eggs. Although it is believed that the spider bite occurred while he was dining outdoors in Marseille, France, Blake admitted that he was unaware of the exact moment it happened.

Upon Blake's return to the UK, he visited the hospital for further consultation with regard to the bite. There, he was reportedly given antibiotics to deal with the swelling and ensure that there was no other infection.

But once again, Blake noticed something out of place with his toe four weeks after he observed the initial discoloration. Subsequently, he visited the doctors and was told that one of the eggs had not been removed when the ship's medical team worked on his toe.

"One of the spider eggs hadn't been flushed and must have hatched," he said, per People Magazine. "They believe the spider was making its way out—eating its way out of my toe," Blake said about his second trip to the hospital.

Ultimately, the toe was cut again to remove the intruder before being treated again with the necessary antibiotics.

Since Blake's tale swirled online, several experts have come out to refute the possibility of it happening, per the BBC.

One of them, Dr. Sara Goodacre from the University of Nottingham, claimed that she "can't possibly see how it could be true at all" as it doesn't align with the biology of the insect.

She said, "[The egg sacs] take quite a while to spin. The spider venom is not necrotizing; it is designed to paralyze a fruit fly."

Goodacre then added that wolf spiders lay eggs in a cotton-like cocoon, which some species carry on their backs, implying that they couldn't have chosen Blake's foot as a suitable repository.

To further back up her claim, Dr. Goodacre said there had been no reports suggesting the eggs could live in a "pus-infected wound" or could "really penetrate the skin."

Blake's ordeal is one of the many cases of spider bites reported this year. Less than three deaths per year are estimated to occur from spider bites. However, most victims are children.

It was also reported that although most of the species of spiders found in the United States are poisonous, their fangs are unable to penetrate the human skin due to their shortness and fragility.

How severe the symptoms are after a spider bite depends on the type of spider, how much venom is delivered, and how a person's body reacts. Common symptoms include swelling and pain where the bite happened, a red mark, itching, a red rash, muscle pain or cramps, trouble breathing, feeling cold or having a fever, and swollen lymph nodes.