Mother of Two, 39, Dies After Suspected Poisonous Spider Bite — Italian Police Launch Manslaughter Investigation Into Her Final Weeks

Sabrina Gigliotti spent more than a month battling worsening pain after what appeared to be an ordinary insect bite. Her family now wants answers after she visited hospitals for treatment before developing a catastrophic infection that ultimately claimed her life.

A 39-year-old mother of two has died in Italy after spending approximately 40 days suffering from what her family believes may have been a bite from a poisonous spider. Sabrina Gigliotti, from Ostia, a coastal district near Rome, died on October 25, 2026, at San Camillo Hospital. Her death has prompted prosecutors in Rome to open a manslaughter investigation against unknown individuals following a complaint filed by her family. Authorities have ordered an autopsy to establish what caused her death and whether the suspected bite played a role in the medical crisis that followed. Sabrina leaves behind two children, aged eight and 12.

According to the family’s account, the ordeal began in mid-September when Sabrina noticed an unusual mark on her right thigh accompanied by itching, pain and swelling. On September 26, she went to Grassi Hospital in Ostia, where doctors reportedly diagnosed an inflamed insect bite and prescribed antibiotics. When the wound failed to improve, she subsequently sought treatment at Celio Hospital, where she received regular wound dressings. However, her relatives say her condition continued to deteriorate. Her brother described how she began experiencing lower back pain, pain in her legs and a burning sensation in her stomach and back. The family alleges that despite these worsening symptoms, additional blood tests and more detailed examinations were not ordered during her treatment.

By October 18, Sabrina’s health had declined so severely that she reportedly needed crutches to walk. She returned to Grassi Hospital, where doctors allegedly attributed her condition to lower back pain and recommended an MRI scan. According to reports, the examination was not completed before her condition deteriorated further. Just two days later, on October 20, she was reportedly struggling to speak and suffering from a severe cough. The following morning, her cousin called emergency services after Sabrina’s condition became critical. Paramedics rushed her back to hospital, where doctors discovered a severe bloodstream infection and urgently intubated her. She was then transferred for specialist treatment, first to the Spallanzani infectious disease hospital and subsequently to San Camillo.

At San Camillo, doctors reportedly informed her relatives that the infection had caused devastating damage to her vital organs. Her lungs were severely compromised, with part of the tissue reportedly affected by necrosis, while her heart and other organs were also failing. Despite medical intervention, Sabrina could not be saved. She died on October 25, approximately 40 days after the first suspected bite. Her family believes that earlier recognition of the seriousness of her condition might have changed the outcome. Through their lawyer, Pablo De Luca, her relatives have asked prosecutors to examine every stage of her medical treatment and determine whether any mistakes or delays contributed to the tragedy.

Investigators are now examining the medical records from the hospitals involved, while the ordered autopsy is expected to provide crucial information about the cause of death. One possibility under consideration is a bite from a brown recluse spider, also known in Italy as the violin spider. However, the spider has not been identified, and it has not yet been established that a spider bite caused the infection. Authorities must also determine whether the infection developed as a complication of the original wound or resulted from another cause. The investigation is therefore examining both the suspected bite and the medical decisions made as Sabrina’s condition worsened. No medical professional has been publicly found responsible for her death.

Sabrina’s death has left her family grieving a mother whose children are now growing up without her. Her relatives say they want more than explanations about the suspected bite: they want to understand why her health deteriorated so dramatically despite repeated hospital visits. Local football organizations in Ostia have also expressed condolences to the Gigliotti family. As prosecutors await the autopsy findings and review the medical documentation, the case raises difficult questions about the recognition of serious infections and the importance of responding to worsening symptoms. For Sabrina’s loved ones, the priority is finding out exactly what happened during those final 40 days — and whether anything could have been done to save her.

Source: The Sun