A disease detection device and method for detection or diagnosis of abnormal immunological activity is disclosed. The device is configured to detect the surface temperature of one or more hominid fingernails, thumbnails, or toenails by non-contact means and compare the temperature(s) detected to at least one second non-contact temperature measurement from the same subject, or to the nominal internal body temperature of the subject. The temperatures could be detected by non-contact electronic sensors, thermo-sensitive linear array sensors, or two-dimensional thermographic imagers. The device further comprises a computing device which executes instructions to compare the nail temperature(s) to the other temperature(s). The magnitude and polarity of the temperature difference of the nail(s) to the other temperature measurement(s) or the nominal internal body temperature of the subject indicates the presence of various pathological states, especially autoimmune, acute immune, drug-induced pathology, and various neurological, circulatory, traumatic, arthritic, and local infectious disorders of the hand.
