You were out in the garage going through boxes when you were bitten by an a spider. You tell the doctor that the spider was tiny and black, causing the doctor to think perhaps that it was a black widow spider. The doctor gives you an injection of antibody to the spider venom to give you immediate protection. The antibody is produced in horses by injecting them with small doses of the spider venom, causing the horse's immune system to make large amounts of speci?c antibody to the antigen. The horse serum is then puri?ed before being given to humans.
A week later, you notice a red rash spreading away from the injection spot, where the doctor gave you the anti-venom shot. A few days later, the rash has spread and swelling in also present. You have joint pain as well as sore muscles all over your body. The lymph nodes in the armpit are
Swollen and painful. Going back to the doctor, he diagnoses you with _______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described, including a red rash, swelling, joint pain, sore muscles, and swollen lymph nodes occurring days after receiving an injection of horse serum (antibody), are indicative of serum sickness. Serum sickness is a reaction to proteins in the antiserum from another species and typically manifests a week or more after exposure.

You Were Out in the Garage Going Through Boxes When