San Pedro doctors receive training in diagnosing Dengue

The Island Newspaper, Ambergris Caye, Belize            Vol. 19, No. 31            August 13, 2009

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The doctors brought some much needed assistance to the Poly Clinic.


A  team of 17 medical practitioners including leader of the group Julio Cesar Gonzalez Aguilar arrived in San Pedro Town last Tuesday. Their mission was to assist doctors at the PolyClinic in identifying and diagnosing the strains of dengue on the island. According to Dr. Gonzalez Aguilar, epidemiologist, dengue can only be properly diagnosed through a blood test. However, initial symptoms can be detected and patients suffering from signs of dengue can begin treatment while test results return from the laboratory.

    Dr. Gonzalez Aguilar’s team, consisting of medical doctors, nurses, chemists, entomologists and a mechanic, were also relaying information on the prevention of dengue. Nebulizers, aiding in controlling the mosquito population, were also brought to the country and placed in medical institutions that needed their use. Medical institutions that had nebulizers which were no longer working, were fixed by the mechanic brought by the team.

    Mosquito specimens were collected and these will be taken back to Chetumal, Quintana Roo in an effort to properly identify the breed of mosquito inhabiting the island. This in turn, will assist doctors in diagnosing the strain of dengue common to San Pedro. Blood samples drawn from patients, will also be taken back to their laboratory and tested to find out if any patients are indeed infect with the virus and what type of dengue they may be suffering from.

    The team arrived in Belize from Chetumal, Quintana Roo and provided their service to the Cayo and Toledo Districts. They plan to return to San Pedro and share their information with the doctors at the PolyClinic. Their message to the island, “Prevention is key. Don’t allow mosquitos to breed in your backyard. Any symptoms need to be reported to your nearest doctor and this will help in diagnosing the sickness properly and in time.”



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