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From Fox News
‘World’s Deadliest Spider’ Found in Whole Foods Produce Section
One of the most deadly spiders in the world was found in the produce section of an upscale Oklahoma grocery store.
Or was it?
An employee of Whole Foods Market in Tulsa discovered what an expert said was a Brazilian wandering spider in a bunch of bananas from Honduras on Sunday and managed to catch it in a container.
The spider was given to University of Tulsa animal facilities director Terry Childs, who identified the arachnid and said that type of spider is one of the most lethal in the world.
Childs said a bite will kill a person in about 25 minutes, and while there is an antidote, he doesn’t know of any in the Tulsa area.
But a Tulsa Zoo official disputed the findings, saying his analysis through video and photos he’d seen led him to believe that it was a Huntsman spider — which is harmless to humans.
Well, if it indeed was the Brazilian wandering spider here’s the good and bad news.
Oddly, the Brazilian spider delivers more than a painful bite that sends most victims to the hospital. Researchers have found its venom also stimulates an hours-long erection in men.
Patients not only experience overall pain and an increase in blood pressure, they also get an uncomfortable erection.
In Brazil, emergency room staff can immediately spot the victims of a bite.
“The erection is a side effect that everybody who gets stung by this spider will experience along with the pain and discomfort,” said study team member Romulo Leite of the Medical College of Georgia, presumably speaking only about male bite victims.
“We’re hoping eventually this will end up in the development of real drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.” Complete story [here].
Yikes!
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If you experience an erection lasting more than 4 hours, seek medical attention immediately!