xenodiagnosis
/ˌzɛnoʊˌdaɪəɡˈnoʊsɪs/
noun
- A method of diagnosing an infectious disease by allowing a disease-carrying insect (like a mosquito or tick) to feed on a person or animal and then examining the insect for the presence of the disease.
- In tropical medicine, xenodiagnosis can help detect parasites that are hard to find in a regular blood test.
- The research team employed xenodiagnosis to confirm the presence of the Lyme disease bacteria in the mouse population.
- The doctor used xenodiagnosis to check if the patient had Chagas disease by letting a clean kissing bug feed on the patient's blood.