Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (PI-IBS)

Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (PI-IBS)

Purpose:

• identification of factors predisposing for Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (PI-IBS) development after an episode of traveler's diarrhea
• identification of systemic (serum) and local (biopsy) changes in infectious and immunological activity during infection and correlation with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms, persisting after traveler's diarrhea

Design:

• 4 study visits: before traveling, 2 weeks after traveling, 6 months after traveling, 12 months after traveling
• at each study visit following investigations: blood collection, stool collection, questionnaires, rectal biopsy

Inclusion Criteria:

• traveling to South-America, Africa, South-East Asia
• 18-70 years
• traveling for 1-10 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Pregnant
• Colitis Ulcerosa
• Morbus Chrohn
• IBS
• Coeliakie
• Gastrointestinal malabsorption
• microscopic colitis
• diverticulitis
• immune deficiency
• use of antibiotics/corticosteroids 2 weeks before travelling