Xenodiagnosis

Xenodiagnosis is a medical testing method used to detect certain infections, especially when traditional blood tests might not be effective. It involves allowing uninfected insects, like bugs or ticks, to feed on a person or animal suspected of having the infection. Afterward, the insects are examined for the presence of the pathogen they may have acquired. This method helps identify infections such as Chagas disease, where the pathogen lives in the blood but can be difficult to detect directly. Xenodiagnosis leverages the natural behavior of insects to serve as biological indicators of infection.