Brazilian singer Darlyn Morias has died after he was bitten on the face by a venomous spider.
Morias, 28, was at his home in the northeastern city of Miranorte on, Tuesday, 31 October, 2023 when the insect bit him on the face.
His 18-year-old stepdaughter also suffered a spider bite.
The pair both fell ill later in the week.
But, while the 18-year-old remains in stable condition in hospital, the singer died from complications on Monday, his wife Jhullyenny Lisboa told the Brazilian news outlet G1.
The colour of the vast, fang-shaped bruise also started to change colour.
The 28-year-old then started to suffer an allergic reaction to the bite and went to a hospital in Minarote, where he received treatment and was discharged on Friday.
However, Morias’ condition worsened and he was readmitted to Palmas General Hospital on Sunday. He died one day later.
Before Mr Morias passed away, he uploaded a close-up shot of the bite on social media, showing large fang marks under his eye and his skin turning a purple-black hue.
Morias started his career at just 15 years old and rose in popularity over the years – performing forró, a dance music genre well-known in Brazil.
He performed in a three-person band, along with his brother and friend.
His cousin, Wesleya Silva, told G1 that the singer was “always very happy and smiling with everyone around him”.
“He was always surrounded by friends, and it was always a reason to celebrate for him,” Mr Silva told the outlet.
“[He was the] owner of a giant heart, always helping the people around him.”
An investigation has been launched into his death with medical officials yet to determine what spider species bit him, reported LBC.
Brazil is home to a group of giant, deadly spiders known as Phoneutrira (also known as Brazilian wandering spiders or banana spiders).
Phoneutria, which means “murderess” in the Greek language, hide in the daytime and come out at night to hunt and carry potent, potentially lethal venom, according to Live Science.
A study in 2018 in the Clinical Toxinology in Australia, Europe, and Americas Journal finds that, while around 4,000 Phoenutria bites occur each year in Brazil, only 0.5 per cent are considered severe.
