A Penny Markt store in Austria was evacuated after staff spotted what could be a Brazillian Wandering Spider, which has a highly venomous bite that can cause permanent erections.
Per TMZ, the spider was spotted in the Krems an der Donau store, and the location was immediately closed as authorities searched for it. The spider was spotted on Tuesday, August 8 and the store has been closed since because search efforts have proved to be unsuccessful. During the lockdown, authorities focused on the bananas in the store because the species of spider is often referred to as a "banana spider" because they've been found in shipments of bananas in the past.
Per the book Molecules of Death and a report published in the National Library of Medicine, multiple people have reported suffering from priapism following a bite from a Brazillian Wandering Spider. Priapism is when a penis remains erect for hours or possibly even indefinitely without treatment. While these two referenced cases were successfully treated through the use of anesthetics, anti-venom, tetanus prophylaxis, and fluid replacement, bites from the spider have been known to kill. Other symptoms of a single bite include severe generalized pain, hypothermia, blurred vision, conclusions, and a massively increased heart rate.
Imagine getting bit by a spider and instead of turning into a superhero you just get a boner that won't go away. Nightmare scenario.
Last month, authorities in Utah said that a large fire in Springville was started after a man repeatedly tried to kill a spider by burning it with a lighter. The man was arrested because the blaze spanned approximately 60 acres at one point in time. It was, however, eventually contained. While many of us probably don't want to encounter something that spooky—regardless of whether said spider can cause painful erections—the use of a lighter to kill one creepy crawly seems like overkill.
