Supermarket closed over fears male customers could get permanent erections: Spider whose bite can cause bizarre reactions in men leads to evacuation
An Austrian supermarket was evacuated after the store manager reportedly spotted a banana-loving spider that can cause permanent erections in men.
The Penny store in Krems an der Donau, 70 kilometers west of Vienna, has remained closed since Tuesday due to fears of the 10 cm black and red spider.
Emergency services were called and warned that the spider, which is still on the loose, may have been a highly venomous Brazilian Wandering Spider, known to reach Europe by hiding in bunches of bananas.
The creature is one of the most venomous spiders in the world, and bites can be deadly after causing hypothermia, blurred vision, convulsions and, in some cases, erections. The spider’s venom is even being studied for use in treatments for erectile dysfunction after it was discovered that a bite from one of the spiders can give male victims a painful four-hour erection.
A pest controller has been called and the banana crates in the store have been sealed, but reports say the store will likely remain closed until next week.
Banana crates had to be sealed for fear of the four-inch-long spider
A Brazilian wandering spider, one of the most venomous arachnids in the world
A spokesman for the Rewe retail group said that “extensive cleaning and disinfection measures” are now being taken to prepare the store for reopening.
But authorities added that: ‘Despite extensive searches, no spiders have been found to date.’
The size and color of the ‘unidentifiable’ spider led authorities to believe it was a Brazilian wandering spider, capable of emitting a deadly neurotoxin.
About 4,000 people are bitten by the arachnid each year, with 0.5 percent of bites resulting in death.
Much has been done to develop an effective antidote, reducing the chance of death.
But just one bite from the spider can also cause severe cramping and tachycardia, or increased heart rate.
The Brazilian wandering spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most venomous arachnid.
The scientific name – Phoneutria – is Greek for “murderer.”
They are known as the wandering spider because they do not build webs, but instead walk the jungle at night in search of prey.
In urban areas, they often take refuge in homes and cars, where they are easily disturbed by humans.
In 2021, taxi driver Joe Stein found one of the spiders among a bunch of bananas bought from a Sainsbury’s in West Wickham, Bromley.
He opened the bag and found a two-inch “dark mass” hanging from the fruit and was terrified to see it shake.
Mr Stein, from Beckenham, Kent, said: ‘I kind of had to refocus my eyes so I could see his big bony, hairy legs. It was a bit shocking!
‘Of course I was shocked, my girlfriend was a little shocked when she found out it was a venomous spider, if she was still alive.
“Luckily I think it was dead, but it was enough to startle both of us and feel on edge.
The Penny supermarket in Krems, 70 kilometers west of Wiener, was closed on Tuesday due to the scare
A Brazilian wandering spider, pictured, found in a bunch of bananas in Bromley, UK, in 2021
In 2015, a British family feared that one of the spiders in their house had disappeared after noticing a suspicious white spider cocoon on a bunch of bananas.
Michaela Egan from Rainham, Essex posted an image to her Facebook page and friends suggested it could be a Brazilian wandering spider.
The mother-of-two immediately put it in a sealed bag and took it back to the Rainham Tesco where staff offered her a full refund before sending the banana off for testing.
The full-time mom said she could have easily given the banana to her daughter for her packed lunch.