Weever Sting
By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
A weever has poisonous spines on both the gill cover and on the rays of the front dorsal fin. The weever lies partially covered in the sand in shallow waters, during the summer and it happens that bathers accidentally steps on it and are thereby stung. Also anglers and professional fishermen are stung by weevers from time to time. The injection of poison happens automatically when you are stung whether by a live or dead weever. The poison itself is broken down in heat and therefore, warm water is part of the treatment.
The sting is painful. The pains can last from a few hours to several days and they are often accompanied by strong swelling around the wound. In severe cases, you may have trouble breathing, sweaty outbreaks, talking nonsense and cramps.
If the wound becomes inflamed, it appears as swelling, warmth, redness and soreness. Inflammation appears after two days at the earliest.