Gastro Panel PCR Test

- For Travellers' Diarrhoea & Gastrointenstinal problems

Book a GP Appointment for assessment

Book Appointment

A GI Panel PCR test is suitable for returning travellers and in urgent circumstances, we can help those still travelling.

If you are a returning travellers, book a 15-min GP appointment for assessment.
If you are currently still travelling, please contact our reception team on 0207 353 5678 to discuss your options.

Service Price How to Book
15-min GP Appointment £85 Book online
Additional cost:
- GI Panel PCR Test £230
Feacal transport swab £5 Buy In-clinic

Fleet Street Clinic is not a VAT registered company

Travellers' Diarrhoea GI Panel PCR Test

Returning from your travels with a stomach bug?

Still experiencing Travellers' Diarrhoea symptoms weeks after returning home?


Our Gastrointestinal (GI) Panel PCR test looks for any microbes that may be causing your symptoms and can quickly identify the exact cause of your Travellers’ Diarrhoea. Results can be provided in as little as 1-hour, so that accurate and effective treatment can begin straight away.

Viruses, bacteria or parasites can each cause similar symptoms but require an entirely different treatment approach. For example, if your Travellers’ Diarrhoea is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not work, so your symptoms will persist and you will not feel better.

Pinpointing the exact cause – rather than just making an educated guess – is the key to successful treatment, especially if a first attempt at treatment has already failed.

Our “gastrointestinal panel” is capable of detecting any of the 23 commonest pathogens that cause diarrhoea – E. coli, campylobacter, norovirus  salmonella, shigella and giardia.

Traditionally lab tests (microscopy and culture) can take days to yield useful results. Whereas a GI PCR allows detection of the tiniest traces of genetic material from the viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause infection. We eliminate delayed diagnosis as uniquely, our laboratory is situated onsite at 29 Fleet Street meaning treatment can start confidently and correctly, right way. With growing concerns about antibiotic resistance, it also means that antibiotics can be confidently avoided when they are not needed.

As one of the leading independent specialist travel clinics in the UK, we look after large numbers of travellers every year: we were the first clinic n the UK to offer PCR as an immediate diagnostic test for travellers’ diarrhoea and gastroenteritis.

GI PCR test with same day results Book Online

What bugs can the Gastrointestinal (GI) Panel detect?

The test looks for the top 23 causes of travellers' diarrhoea.

They are all tested at exactly the same time – producing rapid results. Here is the complete list of the bacteria, viruses and parasites we test for:

Bacteria: Campylobacter (Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter upsaliensis, Campylobacter coli), Clostridium difficile (toxin A/toxin B), Plesiomonas shigelloides, Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio (Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae)

Diarrheagenic: Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)/Shigella, Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli (STEC [enterohemorrhagic E. coli]), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype O157:H7

Viruses: Human Adenovirus F40/F41, Astrovirus and Sapovirus GI, GII, GIV and GV, Norovirus GI, Norovirus GII, Rotavirus A

Parasites: Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora cayetanensis,  Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia

Can you still help if I am still abroad?

Yes - but a little preparation would be needed.

If you intend to have a GI Panel PCR test whilst abroad, you will need to pre-purchase a faecal transport swab.

A GI PCR uses tiny stool samples from the faecal transport swab that can easily be preserved and sent back to the clinic from abroad for analysis. The best option would be by overnight courier which would provide next day results.

Faecal transport swabs are available at Fleet Street Clinic to purchase during your consultation or via our online shop.

If you find yourself aboard needing a GI PCR test and you don’t have one of our swabs, we may still be able to help. You should phone the laboratory for more information.

Diarrhoea can persist for weeks afterwards, there are a number of possible reasons, and they do warrant medical advice and further investigation. The PCR technique is sensitive enough to detect traces of organisms, perhaps days after recovery – making it still possible to track down the bug that spoiled your holiday.

Can a GI PCR detect more than one cause?

The short answer is yes.

Not all cases of travellers’ diarrhoea can be pinpointed to one individual cause. Quite often the cause can be due to a mixed infection – involving more than one organism at the same time.

This can usually explain why initial treatment has failed to work completely – as the different organisms require different methods of treatment.

Such situations are easily avoided by PCR tests as they screen for all pathogens at the same time. Bespoke treatment can then be prescribed for any detected organisms.

Quicker diagnosis means a faster recovery.

Book a GP Appointment for assessment

Book Appointment

A GI Panel PCR test is suitable for returning travellers and in urgent circumstances, we can help those still travelling.

If you are a returning travellers, book a 15-min GP appointment for assessment.
If you are currently still travelling, please contact our reception team on 0207 353 5678 to discuss your options.

Service Price How to Book
15-min GP Appointment £85 Book online
Additional cost:
- GI Panel PCR Test £230
Feacal transport swab £5 Buy In-clinic

Fleet Street Clinic is not a VAT registered company

FAQs

Travellers’ diarrhoea is caused by drinking water or eating foods that contain germs; either a virus, bacteria or a parasite. It is the most common illness in travellers travelling to an area with poor public hygiene.

More information on Travellers’ diarrhoea

Yes, we have a free online Travellers’ Diarrhoea Consultation which asks you a few questions about your upcoming travels and determines if you are suitable for a Travellers’ Diarrhoea Kit – you can then choose to purchase this kit.

Start the consultation here.

According to NaTHNaC, Bacteria are the most common cause of TD; most commonly enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, followed by Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp.

As one of the leading independent specialist travel clinics in the UK, we look after large numbers of travellers every year: we were the first clinic to offer PCR as an immediate diagnostic test for travellers’ diarrhoea and have been using it for in-clinic diagnosis of travellers’ diarrhoea and related infections since 2016.

For more information on Travellers’ Diarrhoea