Doctors have been stumped by a mystery bite that left an Arizona man’s arm covered in painful black and blue bruises.
Thomas Jay said that he was taking out the trash earlier this month when he came into contact with a type of bug he had never seen before in his life.
“As I glanced at it really quick, all of a sudden I just felt this excruciating pinch, this pressure, this bite or a sting that happened and occurred,” he told CBS 5. “And I immediately went and swatted the bug off.”
His wife, Dee Petrov, started a GoFundMe page to help cover the medical costs and said that the bug resembled a Solifugae, a spider-like bug that’s native to warm and arid habits. They are also known variously as camel spiders, wind scorpions, sun spiders, and solifuges.
“It started with one little round circle and became an emergency in a matter of hours,” Petrov recalled, adding that they traveled to several emergency rooms and hospitals within just 24 hours. “We are still praying there are no long-term effects, but there are still issues with the arm and more medical tests and doctors to see.”
Medical professionals have yet to identify what exactly prompted Jay’s violent reaction to the bite and are still waiting for biopsy results. Still, though, the couple has said his care has been excellent and that he’s now signed on to be part of a case study.
“Even though they may not be able to figure out what it was, they might be able to help other individuals as they learn from this situation,” Thomas told the news station.
Petrov, who has been offering updates on her husband via social media, said Jay was “doing better” and has been overwhelmed with information in discussions with professionals and experts.
