Pez Maya & RO staff attend the 1st Agrochemical Toxicology & poisonus animal bites course by Red Cross

This last 23rd and 24th of November Lluvia and Jaen, staff from Pez Maya attended the first “Toxicology on agrochemicals and poisonous animal bites course” organized by the Red Cross in Tulum. The course was given by specialists and addressed to tour guides, fauna technicians and people that work on plague control, natural parks and governmental agencies.

The first day was about intoxications with agrochemicals and it was shown the main components of agrochemicals and bug killers that are used at home. They talked about the common mistakes that people do when using rat killers or similar and how to avoid them. Then they explained how these substances react in our bodies and taught the first aids in case of ingestion or exposure to the different venoms.

We learnt that in Mexico exists an organization that should be called in case of an emergency related to poisonous substances, SINTOX (Servicio de información toxicológica; toxicological information service), which has a free number, give assessment on the situation and tell which antidote the doctors should use when dealing with an intoxication of this kind.

The second day was about poisonous animal bites where they taught how to recognize poisonous snakes and the first aids in case of a bite. They also talked about scorpions, bees and spiders. In the marine section they talked about intoxication with sea food, and first aid on stings by jellyfish, sponges, corals, shells, sting rays, fish and crocodiles bites.

The course was very useful and interesting and the information will be conveyed to all the volunteers and staff from Pez Maya expedition.

Pez Maya & RO staff attend the 1st Agrochemical Toxicology & poisonus animal bites course by Red Cross