Xenodiagnosis
Encyclopedia
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
.
, however the process is commonly used to diagnose infections involving microorganisms such as trypanosomiasis
.
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
by exposing tissue
Tissue (biology)
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
to a vector
Vector (biology)
In biology, the term vector may be used in different contexts:*Vector , an organism, often an invertebrate arthropod, that transmits a pathogen from reservoir to host...
and then examining the vector for the presence of a microorganism or pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
.
Uses
Xenodiagnosis is not commonly used in diagnosing Lyme diseaseLyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
, however the process is commonly used to diagnose infections involving microorganisms such as trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomiasis or trypanosomosis is the name of several diseases in vertebrates caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus Trypanosoma. Approximately 500,000 men, women and children in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa suffer from human African trypanosomiasis which is caused by...
.