xenodiagnosis

[ zen-uh-dahy-uh g-noh-sis, zee-nuh- ]

/ ˌzɛn əˌdaɪ əgˈnoʊ sɪs, ˌzi nə- /

noun Medicine/Medical.

a method of diagnosing certain diseases caused by insects, ticks, or other vectors, by allowing uninfected vectors to feed on the patient and later examining them for infections.

Nearby words

xenobiotic, xenoblast, xenocrates, xenocryst, xenocurrency, xenodiagnosis, xenogamy, xenogeneic, xenogenesis, xenogenic, xenoglossia

Origin of xenodiagnosis

First recorded in 1925–30; xeno- + diagnosis

Related forms

xen·o·di·ag·nos·tic

[zen-uh-dahy-uh g-nos-tik, zee-nuh-] /ˌzɛn əˌdaɪ əgˈnɒs tɪk, ˌzi nə-/, adjective

Medicine definitions for xenodiagnosis

xenodiagnosis

[ zĕn′ə-dī′əg-nō′sĭs, zē′nə- ]

n. pl. xen•o•di•ag•no•ses (-sēz)

Diagnosis of an infectious disease at an early stage by exposing a presumably infected individual or tissue to a clean, laboratory-bred mosquito, tick, or other vector and, following a suitable incubation period, examining the vector for the presence of the infective microorganism.