SAGINAW TWP, MI -- On the morning of Tuesday, May 2, 24-year-old Saginaw Township resident Jessica Greenwald woke up in her apartment with a sensitive, red spot on her left arm.
Getting more sensitive and itchy throughout the day, it began to feel like a burn for Greenwald. She left it unattended for the day to see if it would go away.
The next morning, the red spot began to blister and hurt even more. Greenwald did not hesitate anymore and went to her family doctor.
Doctors determined that Greenwald suffered a spider bite. Due to the severity of the blister and the infection that came with it, the doctors concluded she fell victim to a brown recluse spider bite, Greenwald said.
She said she never saw what bit her.
Brown recluse spiders are not common in Michigan, but have been found in Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska. It also is established in Texas, Georgia and Kentucky.
Even though the spider is not common in Michigan, it has still found its way into the Mitten State in the past few years.
Howard Russell, an entomologist at Michigan State University, believes it is "not very likely" Greenwald was bitten by a brown recluse spider due to the rarity of it in Michigan.
"I'm not saying it's impossible, it's just not likely," he said.
Russell believes these "little isolated populations" of brown recluse spiders are from people transporting them to Michigan while in a more southern area of the United States.
Greenwald said she has not traveled outside the state recently, so there is no possibility of the spider traveling with her.
Despite the unknown at what species of spider had bitten her, Greenwald was also surprised when she began to see how bad the infection had become.
The infection quickly turned into lymphangitis, so the infection spread to her bloodstream.
Greenwald was originally on two antibiotics to be taken together for a week, but once the infection made its way to her bloodstream, she was put on her third round of antibiotics.
It began to heal for her once she was put on her third antibiotic. She will have a followup exam next week once her antibiotic is gone.
The blister was at its biggest point this Monday morning, May 8, according to Greenwald.
"It began to drain on my way to my appointment with my family doctor," she said. "By the time I left the appointment, it was almost completely drained. (The doctor) cleaned it and covered it and instructed me to allow it to drain itself the rest of the way. (Tuesday) morning, it is completely drained and is no longer tender or sore."
Since spring began, Greenwald said she saw a few spiders "here and there," but nothing as dangerous or big as a brown recluse.
After the incident unfolded, Greenwald set off a "bug bomb" in her apartment and "sprayed the perimeter with repellent to prevent this from happening again."
Despite being an outdoors person, Greenwald has never had to deal with a rash or infection like this.
"I used to run around barefoot in the woods as a child and never got poison ivy, poison sumac or poison oak," she said.
Because of the infection, Greenwald has not been able to work for the past week. Luckily, her manager at Harvey's Grill and Bar in Bay City was "more than compliant" to have her shifts covered.