SANTA PAULA : Spider Bite May Have Triggered Death
A massive infection that killed a 44-year-old Santa Paula woman may have been triggered by a spider bite as the family believes, but the connection cannot be proven, a Ventura County deputy coroner said Thursday.
Deputy Coroner Jim Wingate said an autopsy revealed that Linda Christine Lougdan died after succumbing to a three-month infection, which led to heart failure. But Marilyn Lougdan, who found her daughter late Tuesday, said she believed that an untreated spider bite three months ago caused the infection.
Lougdan did not seek medical attention for the bite, her mother said, because her Christian Science religious beliefs prohibited seeking treatment from a doctor.
“It can’t be ruled out, but we don’t know for sure the exact cause of the infection,” Deputy Craig Stevens said of the spider bite. He said the woman’s weight--370 pounds--may have contributed to her death.
Lougdan was a former accountant with the Ventura Unified School District, authorities said.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
