When is a test of cure necessary for acute infectious diarrhea?
- In most cases of acute infectious diarrhea, resolution of symptoms is enough.
- There are no indications for tests of cure with C. difficile in patients whose symptoms have resolved.
- Many health departments require that restaurant workers with Salmonella infections have a stool test to demonstrate that they are no longer carrying the bacterium before they return to work, but there are no official guidelines from academic societies or the federal government to rely on.
- Providers should consult their local health department agencies regarding this matter
