Detection of microsporidia in travelers with diarrhea

We examined stool specimens of 148 returning travelers from an outpatient department for tropical diseases for the appearance of microsporidia using light microscopy and PCR. Intestinal microsporidiosis was diagnosed for five patients by light microscopy and for nine patients by PCR. Some cases were diagnosed only by PCR, indicating that the true prevalence has to be determined by highly sensitive techniques, such as PCR.