With the discovery of Brown Widow spiders on the island, Kaafu Maafushi Council has urged caution for the island community.

The council via a statement on Tuesday, cited the Ministry of Health having confirmed that the discovered species of spiders are in fact Brown Widows.

Further, the council is seeking a recommendation for preventive chemicals from the ministry’s vector control unit.

The Health Ministry is to have urged the island community to only use fire as a method to destroy manifestations if found, and to refrain from using other methods.

Preparations are also underway to scan the entirety of Maafushi with the joint efforts from the relevant institutions, said the council.

While Brown Widow spiders are deemed less poisonous that the female Black Widow, they rarely bite humans and in the rare occasion that they do, they do not inject all of their venom, making them less harmful.

The harmful species of spiders may be identified through brown spotted patterns as well as the black or white stripes on their backs. Brown Widow spiders lay round and spiky egg sacs and they tend to manifest in secluded areas such as gardens and woodlands. However, the public is cautioned to look out for eggs or cobwebs inside closets, cardboard boxes, underneath furniture as well as inside their shoes.

Brown Widow bites may be identified with small, red marks that slightly sting. Some of the symptoms include breathing difficulties, muscle cramps, sweating, headache and nausea as well as rashes, ulcers and pus where a person got bitten.