Stool Culture Test

Also Known As

Bacterial Culture, Feces Culture

The Purpose of a Stool Test

A bacterial pathogenic infection in the gastrointestinal system isn’t fun—but it is dangerous if it’s not diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. The symptoms can include high fever, diarrhea (with or without blood), stomach pain, vomiting, aching muscles, and more. A stool culture can determine what type of bacteria has triggered the infection—perhaps through food poisoning or drinking contaminated water while traveling—so you can get the right type of medication for treatment.

What Does the Stool Culture Measure?

Stool study labs detect pathogens in your body. This can help your physician pinpoint diseases such as typhoid fever, salmonella infection, dysentery, or enteric fever.

Who Should Take a Stool Test for Bacteria

Take a stool test as soon as possible if you’re suffering the symptoms of a pathogenic gastrointestinal infection, particularly if you’ve been in a foreign country or have knowingly been exposed to bacteria in a foodborne illness.

Stool Testing Labs Preparation

You don’t have to take any special precautions, such as fasting, for your stool culture test. However, you will want to use your first stool of the day as your sample. Make sure you follow all instructions for collecting your stool sample and submitting it for testing.

Stool Study Lab Results

A positive test tells you that you have a pathogenic infection that will require treatment; negative results on stool testing labs indicate you are infection free.

Where Can I Get a Stool Culture Test Near Me?

Personalabs isn’t just about blood testing; we also offer stool tests for bacteria as part of our comprehensive collection of 400-plus tests. Some stool tests can help diagnose certain types of infectious diseases, while others are used for colon cancer screening or diagnosing conditions such as anemia. Here’s how we help you get the tests you need.

Step 1: Buy the test online and download the corresponding lab order. (Based on the state where you live, a doctor’s pre-approval may not be required to purchase the test.)

Step 2: Use our lab finder to find the Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics location near you. Due to our partnerships with these two leading lab companies, we have more than 4,000 locations available across the country. (And here are some great tips to help you prepare for your lab visit.)

Step 3: Follow the procedure for submitting your sample for testing at your chosen lab.

Step 4: Look for your test results to arrive in your secure Personalabs account between 2 and 10 business days after completing your testing. (Make sure to tell us if you need the results by a certain date, and we can reach out to the lab for you.) If you’d like to discuss your results with an experienced physician, schedule a telehealth appointment with a Personalabs board-certified doctor.

Shop our full range of tests today and take charge of your healthcare decisions so you can create an optimal sense of well-being.