Stool Culture

A stool culture is used to detect the presence of disease-causing (pathogenic) bacteria and help diagnose an infection of the digestive system (gastrointestinal, GI tract). Since there are many causes of GI infections, a stool culture may be used in conjunction with other tests, such as a GI pathogens panel or an ova and parasite exam (O&P) to help establish a diagnosis.

A GI pathogens panel is performed on a stool sample to simultaneously test for the viruses, bacteria, and parasites that are common causes of GI infections. These panels are relatively new and laboratories and healthcare practitioners are still determining how to utilize them to provide the optimum patient results while being cost-effective. A stool culture and an O&P may be done if a microbe is not identified by the panel and/or there is a suspicion of bacteria or parasites other than those included in the GI panel.

Many GI infections in the U.S. resolve with no specific treatment, with only supportive care, and may not require testing. In otherwise healthy individuals, the infections are considered common illnesses that are not serious and sometimes thought of as "food poisoning" or
"stomach flu." However, there are cases where it is useful to perform testing that identifies the cause of the GI infection – to guide its treatment, eliminate its source, and limit its spread.

Laboratories typically use stool cultures to detect and identify the most common intestinal disease-causing bacteria:

• Campylobacter species
• Salmonella species
• Shigella species

Some bacteria cause illness by producing toxins. These bacteria may be cultured, but many of the tests used to detect them are dedicated to the direct detection of their toxins, either by PCR or antigen test. Examples include:

• Escherichia coli O157:H7
• Clostridium difficile

Depending on the affected person's medical and/or travel history, tests for other pathogens or potential pathogens may be included or be separately available. Some of these include:

• Aeromonas
• Plesiomonas
• Yersinia enterocolitica
• Vibrio species

A stool culture may be ordered when someone has signs and symptoms of an infection of the digestive tract, such as:

• Diarrhea that lasts more than a few days and may contain blood and/or mucus
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fever

Not everyone who has these symptoms will necessarily have testing done or be treated. In people who have healthy immune systems, these infections often resolve with supportive care and without the use of antibiotics. A stool culture is more likely to be ordered when a person:

• Has severe symptoms, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and/or other complications
• Is very young, elderly, or has a weakened immune system; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diarrhea is a global killer. It is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 worldwide, killing an estimated 2,195 children a day.
• Has prolonged signs and symptoms and/or infections that do not resolve without treatment
• Has an illness during and following travel outside the U.S., especially to emerging nations; the CDC estimates that 30% to 70% of those who travel outside of the U.S. will get a GI infection.
• Has eaten food or drunk fluids that may have been contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, such as undercooked meat or raw eggs, or the same food that has made others ill
• Is ill and a possible foodborne or waterborne outbreak prompts the medical community to investigate and identify the cause; examples include contaminated produce, contaminated food from a specific restaurant, and/or illness on a cruise ship.

A healthcare practitioner may order one or more stool cultures when someone has had a previous pathogenic bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract and has either been treated for it or it has resolved on its own. This may be done to verify that the pathogenic bacteria are no longer detectable because in some cases people can become carriers of the bacteria. Carriers are not ill themselves, but they can infect other people.

If a stool culture is positive for pathogenic bacteria, then they are the most likely cause of the person's diarrhea and other symptoms. Results are frequently reported out with the name of the pathogenic bacteria that was detected.

Some of the most common pathogenic bacteria that cause infections in the U.S. and their most frequently encountered sources include:

• Campylobacter – found in raw or undercooked poultry and unpasteurized milk; it is one of the most common causes of bacterial diarrhea in the U.S. It may become especially serious if it spreads to the blood, and it occasionally causes long-term complications such as arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
• Salmonella – found in raw eggs (even intact disinfected eggs), raw poultry, uncooked vegetables, and in reptiles; pets such as lizards and turtles may carry salmonella in their intestines without being ill themselves. Some humans may become carriers of salmonella. Salmonella may be transmitted person-to-person.
• Shigella – found in food and water contaminated with stool and from infected person-to-person when careful sanitation is not observed; for instance, it can be a challenge to prevent the spread of Shigella within a family and in a daycare or nursing home setting since very few organisms may cause disease.

A wide variety of other bacteria may sometimes cause GI infections and may be identified with a stool culture. Some important examples include:

• Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and other toxin-producing E. coli (most strains of E. coli are considered normal flora and do not cause disease) – found in raw or undercooked hamburger/beef, spinach, or unpasteurized cider; causes bloody diarrhea and may lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome.
• Clostridium difficile – may be present as part of the normal flora, but use of broad-spectrum antibiotics can result in an overgrowth of these bacteria. Toxin-producing strains can cause diarrhea and other serious complications. If these strains are suspected to be the cause, then separate tests that detect the toxin-producing C. difficile will be performed.

Examples of other less common causes include:

• Aeromonas
• Plesiomonas
• Yersinia enterocolitica
• Vibrio cholerae and other Vibrio species

For more on bacteria that cause GI infections, see the articles on Diarrhea, Food and Waterborne Illness, and Travelers' Diseases.

Results of stool cultures that are reported as negative usually reflect the fact that the stool culture was checked for the most common pathogens at several intervals and none were found (not isolated). A report may state: "no Campylobacter isolated," "no Salmonella or Shigella isolated," etc.

If the culture is negative for the major pathogens, then it is likely that the person's signs and symptoms are due to another cause or to a less common pathogen. It is also possible that pathogenic bacteria are present in the gastrointestinal tract, but there were too few bacteria in that particular stool sample to be detected. If a healthcare practitioner suspects that this is the case and symptoms continue, a stool culture on another sample may be ordered and/or followed up with other tests.

Most diarrheal disease is caused by a single pathogen, but it is possible to have an infection with more than one.

Severe pathogenic bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract and those causing complications may be treated with antibiotics, but many uncomplicated cases are best left untreated. People with healthy immune systems will usually get better on their own within a week or so. They are instructed in how to prevent the spread of the infection and are treated and monitored for symptoms such as dehydration.

Pathogenic bacterial infections are monitored on a community and sometimes national level. Other than foreign travel-related cases, health officials try to determine where an infection came from so that they can address any potential public health concerns. Bacterial isolates causing foodborne illness are sent to the State Public Health Laboratories to be typed by molecular methods. The results of the typing are uploaded into a national database to detect common source outbreaks across the U.S. The typing helps to identify specific foods or food products that are the source of the infection.

Travelers' diarrhea is typically caused by toxin-producing Escherichia coli, which are the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea infections among travelers to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These strains of E. coli, however, are different than the strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (O157:H7), which can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome.

The best things to do are to not drink water or eat food that may be contaminated and to follow good sanitation practices, such as thorough and frequent hand washing. Food that might be contaminated, such as raw meats and eggs, should be cooked thoroughly. Cooked foods and foods that are served raw should not touch any surfaces that may have been contaminated. When you are traveling to developing nations, it is best to only drink bottled water, carbonated drinks, and hot cooked foods. Avoid fresh fruits and vegetables, limiting yourself to those that you can peel yourself. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Food from street vendors is generally not considered safe. If someone in your household has an infection that is causing diarrhea, careful hand washing by all family members is recommended, and the person infected should not prepare food or drink for others until the infection is resolved.