PCR can detect the virus as well as identify the type of herpes virus. Because this test is more sensitive than culture, it is useful in circumstances where the virus is present in low numbers (such as viral encephalitis) or if the lesion is several days old.
After a brief stop at Jamaica, Columbus sailed to Central America, arriving at Guanaja (Isla de Pinos) in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras on 30 July. Here Bartolomeo found native merchants and a large canoe, which was described as being long as a galley and filled with cargo.
The voyage departed in August of 1492 with about 87 men sailing the three ships. After a brief stop in the Canary Islands, Columbus and his crew began their journey across the Atlantic on September 6. On October 12, land was sighted. Columbus gave the first island he landed on the name San Salvador, although the native population called it Guanahani. Today, the island is part of the nation we call the Bahamas. Columbus continued to explore, and in addition to San Salvador, he spent time in Cuba and in Hispaniola. He firmly believed that he was in Asia. He even proposed that the island of Cuba was a part of China.