A West Australian man has another warning about travel in Bali.
He brought a nasty gift back with him a tropical spider that had burrowed into his skin.
Tobi Loftus reports.
TRANSCRIPT
At first 21-year-old Bali holidaymaker Dylan Thomas didn’t worry about the mysterious red mark on his body
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “I woke up on Saturday Morning with a strange red mark on my stomach. I didn’t think much of it. It might of been a scratch.”
But it turned out to be something much worse than a scratch.
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “It was a very searing, hot searing, burning sensation. It was like nothing I have felt before.”
A tropical spider like the one pictured had burrowed into a scar and then began moving under the skin on his chest.
Dylan was told by doctors in Bali that it was a reaction to an insect bite and he was sent away with some antihistamine cream.
Later that night, the trail had moved seven centimetres higher.
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “It wasn’t until the Sunday morning when it started blistering that I got quite concerned.”
Doctors had a closer look and found the spider had buried itself in the scar from a recent operation.
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “I was referred to a specialist the next day and yeah, it was quite a daunting sort of experience.”
The spider, who had died in his body, was surgically removed.
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “What the heck? I was just mind blown. I couldn’t have really believed that in my wildest dreams.”
Quite fittingly, he has become known to his mates as Spider man.
Dylan Thomas, Spider Man: “Yeah, it’s a beauty isn’t it?”
Tobi Loftus, QUT News.