Scientists believe a spider could lead to a breakthrough in sexual health after finding a single bite can cause a four-hour erection, an orange news report has said.
According to the report, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia believe the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider could lead to a new cure for erectile dysfunction.
Dr Kenia Nunes, a physiologist at the college, said it works in a different way to Viagra, the Daily Mail reported.
“This is good because we know that some patients don't respond to the conventional therapy. This could be an optional treatment for them,” she said.
Her study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, involved experiments using hypertensive rats with severe erectile dysfunction.
“The toxin was able to normalise the erectile dysfunction in these animals,” said Dr Nunes.
However, further research is required. Other side-effects can include loss of muscle control, severe pain, difficulty breathing and death.