Xenodiagnosis is an effective technique that is akin to the technique of bloodletting with leeches that dates back to the Middle Ages.
In this test, uninfected vinchucas are placed in a jar and tucked under the armpit of a patient suspected of being infected.
The vinchucas are allowed to consume blood for thirty minutes, and their feces are examined for T. cruzi thirty and sixty days afterward.
One problem with this test method is obtaining uninfected bugs. This technique is rarely xenodiagnosis is an effective method of testing for T. cruziinfectionused on children, and many adults have are hesitant in being willfully bitten by vinchucas.
However, medical examinations can be as painful as the symptoms themselves. Xenodiagnosis can be an excellent examination for determining strains and populations of parasites.