Xenodiagnosis

Xenodiagnosis is a process to diagnose an infectious disease by exposing tissue to a vector and then examining the vector for the presence of a microorganism or pathogen.

Uses

Xenodiagnosis is not commonly used in diagnosing Lyme disease, however the process is commonly used to diagnose infections involving microorganisms such as trypanosomiasis.

Study

Emile Brumpt introduced the xenodiagnosis technique into parasitological research and extensively studied such diseases as bilharzia, Chagas disease, onchocerciasis and leishmaniasis.

Medical professionals primarily use xenodiagnosis in determining the presence of a chronic infection of Trypanosoma cruzi (the flagellate that causes Chagas disease). Directly and definitively demonstrating the presence of this causative agent in a patient proves difficult. Therefore, the doctor allows a triatominae, a vector of the flagellate, to take a blood meal from the patient. The doctor later inspects the gut of the triatominae for growth of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Medical professionals historically successfully identified babesiosis with xenodiagnosis, both in hamsters for Babesia microti and in gerbils for Babesia divergens. They now use faster diagnostic measures.

Xenodiagnosis for filariasis is now obsolete.

Links

MeSH E01.370.985 --- xenodiagnosis