Singer Dies After Spider Bite: Darlyn Morais Was 28
The singer's 18-year-old stepdaughter also suffered a spider bite and is currently in the hospital in stable condition.
Brazilian singer Darlyn Morais has died after he was bitten by a spider. The musician, 28, initially experienced body fatigue and developed a dark bruise on his face after he was bitten by the spider on his face at his home in Miranorte do Tocantins on Tuesday, Oct. 31, his wife, Jhullyenny Lisboa, told Brazilian news outlet G1.
After developing an allergic reaction to the bite later in the week, Morais sought treatment at a hospital in Miranorte. The singer was treated and released that Friday. However, Morais' condition continued to deteriorate, according to his wife, who said, "he felt weakness in his body and his face started to darken on the same day (October 31). Lisboa said. 'He went to the hospital and was admitted to Palmas General hospital this Sunday." The musician, who shared an image of the wound to social media, tragically passed away on Monday, Nov. 6. His 18-year-old stepdaughter was also reportedly bitten on her foot and is currently hospitalized in stable condition.
According to LBC, health officials have launched an investigation to determine Morais's exact cause of death. The exact spider that bit both Morais and his stepdaughter is not known, though Brazil is home to one of the most venomous spiders in the world, the Brazilian Wandering Spider, also known as banana spiders. The late Jo-Anne Sewlal, who was an arachnologist at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, previously told Live Science, that after a human is bitten, they may experience initial symptoms such as severe burning pain at the site of the bite, sweating and goosebumps. Symptoms become more concerning after 30 minutes. However, antivenom makes death unlikely. It is unclear if a Brazilian Wandering Spider was the type of spider that bit Morais.
Following his passing, Morais' family shared a tribute to him on his Instagram account. Translated from Portuguese, the statement read, "The family of Dylan Marais would like to thank you all for your kind words of support at this time of such great pain. To our Eternal Singer, our feeling of gratitude to each one of you... We are grateful once again for the love of all."
According to Khaleej Times, Morais egan his music career at the age of 15 and sang forró, a popular genre of music in Brazil's northeast region that is based on a combination of the accordion, zabumba and metal triangle. He was part of a small, three-member band that included his brother and a friend. The band regularly performed in the states of Tocantins, Goias, Maranhao, and Para. His cousin, Wesleya Silva, told G1 that Mroais "was always surrounded by friends and it was always a reason to celebrate for him. Always very happy and smiling with everyone around him. Owner of a giant heart, always helping the people around him."