Chlamydia-related bacteria had infected brown widow spiders around the world - BGU study

Researchers from Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) conducted a study which concludes that brown widow spiders around the world can hold bacterium that is related to to chlamydia.

The study, which was initially published in April in the journal Scientific Reports, revealed that the spider observed, also known as the Latrodectus geometricus, was infected with a strain of Rhabdochlamydia, which is the chlamydia-related bacterium.

The spider brought in the endosymbiont organism, where its diversity across the brown widow spider populations was studied by BGU researchers between South Africa, Israel, and the United States.

The microbial communities in populations of brown widow spiders were compared between the three countries by BGU's Dr. Monica Mowery and fellow colleagues.

“Our results suggest that this dominant, widely prevalent chlamydial bacteria has an important role in the invasive brown widow spider,” explained Mowery.

Rhabdochlamydia was detected in 86% of 118 adult female spiders that the researchers screened.

The bacterium was also found in spider eggs

The bacterium was also found in spider eggs, the study concluded, which indicates that mother spiders can transfer it to their offspring.

Additionally, it concluded that "spiders from Israel were more likely to carry Rhabdochlamydia than those from the US and South Africa." A variant strain of this bacterium, known as Wolbachia, was "was geographically clustered in both Israel and South Africa."

The study also makes an important note saying that the Latrodectus geometricus spider is generally dangerous to young children and the elderly as they have have neurotoxic venom.