Student killed by a spider bite
Teenager found dead in his room with a gaping wound on his back
AN UNDERGRADUATE died after being bitten by a spider in student accommodation, an inquest heard.
Harry Bolton, 19, was found dead in his shared house four days after complaining of feeling unwell from a spider bite on his back.
He went to hospital but discharged himself after a blood sample was taken, telling medical staff he would go to bed and visit a walk-in centre the next day, the inquest at Hull was told.
His housemate had suffered a spider bite two months earlier and told the student housing group, but no infestation was found.
In a narrative conclusion, coroner Paul Marks said Mr Bolton’s death was caused by sepsis due to an acute chest infection that in turn was due to an infected wound on his back.
He said: ‘Had he not been bitten by an invertebrate, possibly a spider, he would not have died at that time. It is an incredibly unfortunate case.’
The inquest heard that Mr Bolton, a University of Hull second year student, told a friend on October 3 last year that he had been bitten by a spider and felt unwell.
He went to Hull Royal Infirmary that night with a high temperature and heart rate.
Staff took a blood test, the hearing was told, but Dr Ben Rayner, an A&E consultant at the hospital, said the results would not have been flagged up by the lab as a matter of immediate risk.
Mr Bolton discharged himself at 1am. The inquest heard he had the capacity to make the decision.
Three days later, his housemates called security after knocking on his door and getting no response.
Staff broke down his door to find him dead. The inquest heard paramedics noticed a gaping wound on his back that appeared to be infected. Housemate Kacper Zydron gave evidence about a similar bite on his neck in August last year, which became infected but cleared up with antibiotics.
Mr Zydron emailed Ashcourt student housing about a spider problem, attaching a photo of a common house spider he had taken.
But the inquest heard an inspection by the maintenance team found no infestation.
After Mr Bolton’s death, a pest control survey was also carried out and no abnormal insect levels were found.