Another Bad Bite

[Ash]

Can any of you tell me what kind of a bite this is?
I got it a week and a half ago at the airsoft game I hosted and felt no pain.  I actually didn't even notice it until the next day.  It was originally black in the center but that went away and now it's getting worse.  It itches like all hell and is swelling up.  Also, that line under it wasn't there until about two days ago and it's painful to the touch.  The main bite isn't that painful, just itchy.  The line is painful.
I originally thought it might be scabies but the bite doesn't look like a scabies infection.  What it looks like is a brown recluse bite, but I haven't experienced any of the usual symptoms of a recluse bite like fever, severe headaches, necrotized flesh, etc...
Any idea what might have caused it?

[Paquita]

Yikes!  I suggest taking that to a doctor.  Lines coming from bites is not good from what I know.  I don't think you should panic, but still get it checked.  If it is a brown recluse bite, maybe you're just slow to get the other symptoms, it might be best if you catch it before you do.

[Andrew]

It's hard to tell from the pictures.  Based on your description, I'd assume a spider bite.  However, they all seem to be that way.  Don't notice them at first, then they have some swelling, pus, and itch like crazy.

Looking at it, the spot most reminds me of a chigger bite, but those don't usually come in singles - you normally have multiple spots.

[Jack]

I agree with Andrew - if it's got a line coming from it it's probably a spider bite.  I got one of those and that red line took months to go away.

[Andrew]

However, they all seem to be that way. 

I should have been more clear about this sentence.  It was meant to address the concern that the bite was a brown recluse spider.  Having seen them before a few times (two or three in 21 years in the Corps), we've never been able to tell the difference until the tissue death started to happen.

If it helps at all, I've had lots of spider bites over the years.  Many of them looked like what you have.  None of them have been recluse bites, and there has been one time I actually found the spider who had bitten me.  We were in the field and the bites were along my upper arm and shoulder.  When I removed my uniform after getting back to the rear a large and flattened wolf spider dropped out of the blouse.  I must have been squishing him in my sleep.

[AndyC]

If it hasn't gotten worse than that in a week and a half, I'm inclined to agree it probably isn't dangerous. Maybe see what you can get at a drugstore for the inflammation and itching.

[dean]

Since I live in a country that apparently is full of dangerous spiders that want to kill you I'm now interested: what the heck is a chigger?

[Anyway, I've had bites from varieties of insects that look kind of those photos and they were just annoying, not that I'm suggesting you be complacent of course]

[Andrew]

Since I live in a country that apparently is full of dangerous spiders that want to kill you I'm now interested: what the heck is a chigger?

[Anyway, I've had bites from varieties of insects that look kind of those photos and they were just annoying, not that I'm suggesting you be complacent of course]

They are a type of large mite that bites you and injects a digestive saliva so they can feed.  The bites tend to be large, red and even brown/black and itch bad.  And if you get one, you tend to get a lot of them because they seem to always be present in groups.

[tracy]

Yikes!  I suggest taking that to a doctor.  Lines coming from bites is not good from what I know.  I don't think you should panic, but still get it checked.  If it is a brown recluse bite, maybe you're just slow to get the other symptoms, it might be best if you catch it before you do.

I agree 100%.....and it looks like the brown recluse bite my twin sister got a couple of years ago. Please have it checked.

[Criswell]

Badmovies MD is happening here.

I'm not an expert in this but I would definatly get that cheeked out.