xenodiagnosis

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

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.

Origin of xenodiagnosis

First recorded in 1925–30; xeno- + diagnosis

Related formsxen·o·di·ag·nos·tic

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

xenodiagnosis in Medicine

(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.