A man who complained of an itch after being bitten by a spider in Italy was found dead in his hotel room a few hours later.
Victim Konstantinos Di Pascalis and five business colleagues visited kiwi orchards in the Latina Province on June 12 when he is believed to have received the bite.
And when he didn't surface from breakfast at the group's Oasi di Kufra Hotel in Sabaudia the next morning worried staff let themselves into his room.
Inside, they found the 58-year-old Greek national apparently dead in his bed and called paramedics, who were unable to save him.
Police have ordered an autopsy and his body will be sent home to Greece following the results.
“We are very shocked by what happened. We provided all the necessary support, unfortunately even the use of the defibrillator did not prevent the tragedy,” reportedly said Simone Ponziani, the hotel manager.
There are several types of venomous spiders in Italy, like the deadly Mediterranean black widow and violin spider.
The violin or Brown Recluse spider is known to exist in the Latina Province and symptoms include itching, irritation, fever and vomiting and rarely leads to death.
Local media also report that Konstantinos may have suffered from anaphylactic shock in his sleep.
The Mayo Clinic - the US medical research centre - describes anaphylaxis as "a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction".
It warns: "It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you are allergic to."
The Mayo Clinic's fact sheet also says: "Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock - blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, blocking breathing.
"Signs and symptoms include a rapid, weak pulse, a skin rash, nausea and vomiting. Common triggers include certain foods, some medications, insect venom and latex.
"If anaphylaxis isn't treated right away, it can be fatal."
Meanwhile in December last year, Susie Torres, from Kansas in Missouri, endured an arachnophobe's worst nightmare when a venomous spider crawled inside her ear whilst she was fast asleep.
When Ms Torres took herself to the doctors after hearing a "swishing sound" that wouldn't budge, it was then revealed that a brown recluse spider was in fact living inside her ear.
According to Livescience, Ms Torres told KSHB-TV in Kansas City what happened when a nurse peered inside her ear.
She explained: "She ran out and said, 'I'm going to get a couple more people'. She then said, 'I think you have an insect in there'."
It is likely that the spider snuck into Ms Torres' ear while she was asleep and thankfully, she was not bitten by the venomous creature.
