Why get tested? To determine whether you have a parasite infecting your gastrointestinal tract
When to get tested? When you have diarrhea that lasts more than a few days and/or have blood or mucus in your loose stools, especially if you have drunk unpurified water while camping or have traveled outside of the United States
Sample required? A fresh or preserved stool sample, sometimes multiple samples collected on different days
This article was last reviewed on January 28, 2008.
This page was last modified on April 8, 2009.
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