Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2026

A High-throughput Platform for the Screening of Salmonella spp./Shigella spp.
Published on: November 7, 2018
Pathogen and Testing Profiles in Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome Across the COVID-19 Public Health
Erhan Bozkurt1, Osman Sağlam2, Alper Sarı1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar 03030, Türkiye.
Abstract:
Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 public health emergency altered enteric infection surveillance, diagnostic testing, and antibiotic prescribing. We compared pathogen/testing composition among post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) cases stratified by whether index gastroenteritis occurred before, during, or after the emergency. Methods: This single-centre retrospective case series included 138 adults with clinician-diagnosed PI-IBS classified as Rome IV-compatible by chart adjudication. Index gastroenteritis occurred from January 2019 to December 2024; existing clinical records were reviewed retrospectively. The primary comparison was a five-category pathogen/testing profile. Results: The profile differed across pre-pandemic (n = 30), pandemic (n = 39), and post-emergency (n = 69) periods (χ2 = 35.56, p < 0.001; Cramér V = 0.36, 95% CI 0.30-0.48). Bacterial/protozoal cases represented 63.3%, 7.7%, and 33.3%, respectively; SARS-CoV-2-associated cases represented 0%, 35.9%, and 13.0%. Antibiotic exposure was 56.7%, 12.8%, and 33.3%. In an exploratory adjusted model, confirmed enteric pathogens were associated with antibiotic exposure (OR 16.28, 95% CI 3.03-87.35), whereas period was not. Sensitivity analyses excluding SARS-CoV-2 cases and period-crossing diagnoses were concordant. Conclusions: Pathogen/testing and antibiotic-exposure profiles differed across periods among diagnosed PI-IBS cases. These data describe case composition, not incidence or causal risk, and cannot separate infection ecology from diagnostic behaviour.
Related Concept Videos
Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome I: Introduction
IBS is a chronic condition that can persist over a long period or recur frequently.
The pathogenesis of IBS involves a complex interplay of the following factors:
Altered...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Introduction
Bacterial Gastroenteritis