Quick Facts
- Sample: Stool
- Fasting: Not required
- Turn-around: 6–8 business days after lab receipt. May take longer based on weather, holiday, or lab delays
Benefits
- Identifies harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, and yeast in one test
- Includes antimicrobial susceptibility testing at no extra charge
- At-home collection is private, convenient, and non-invasive
- Multi-day collection improves detection of intermittently shed parasites
- Supports personalized treatment by revealing your specific gut imbalances
- No doctor's visit required to order
Who Is This Test For?
- People with chronic diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or abdominal pain
- Anyone with IBS-like symptoms that haven't responded to basic treatment
- Travelers returning from regions with endemic parasitic infections
- Individuals with unexplained fatigue, skin issues, or nutrient deficiencies
- Those with suspected Candida overgrowth or yeast-related symptoms
- Anyone who wants to monitor gut health before or after treatment
How It Works – Just 3 Steps
- Collect at home. Use the kit to collect stool samples according to the included instructions.
- Ship to the lab. Pack samples with cold packs in the prepaid mailer and ship early in the week to ensure timely processing.
- Review your results. Receive a detailed report categorizing bacteria, yeasts, viruses, and parasites within 6-8 business days. Share findings with your provider for next steps.
FAQ
What does this test actually detect? It detects beneficial and harmful bacteria, dysbiotic yeasts (like Candida), viruses, and a comprehensive range of parasites and protozoa. Methods include culture, PCR, and gold-standard microscopy. Susceptibility testing is included for cultured organisms, helping guide targeted treatment choices.
Do I need a doctor to order this test? No. Walk-In Lab's direct-access model allows you to order without an in-person visit. However, reviewing results with a physician, gastroenterologist, or integrative practitioner is strongly recommended, especially if pathogens or inflammation markers are detected.
Why collect stool on multiple days? Some parasites shed intermittently, meaning a single sample can miss them. Collecting over 1–3 days significantly reduces false-negative results. This aligns with CDC guidance on multi-specimen parasitology testing (CDC, 2024).
What medications should I avoid before testing? Avoid antibiotics, antiparasitics, antifungals, and probiotics for about 2 weeks before collection. Stop NSAIDs, laxatives, and antacids 2 days before. These can alter gut flora and reduce detection accuracy.
How accurate is PCR testing for parasites? Very accurate. PCR detection of Giardia, for example, reports sensitivity near 100% and specificity around 98% versus microscopy alone (NIH/NLM, 2023). This makes modern molecular stool testing far superior to single-sample microscopy.
When will I get my results? Results may take 6–8 business days. Turnaround times are estimates and may vary due to holidays or confirmation testing.
More Details
What is the purpose of this test?
The CPP (Culture, PCR + Parasitology) profile is a comprehensive, non-invasive stool test that evaluates your gut ecosystem. It identifies beneficial bacteria, harmful pathogens, yeast overgrowths, viruses, and a broad range of parasites using culture, PCR, and microscopy. The test also provides antimicrobial susceptibility data for cultured organisms, helping clinicians personalize treatment for chronic GI symptoms and suspected infections (Rupa Health).
What biomarkers are measured in this test?
Bacteriology Culture
- Beneficial flora
- Commensal/imbalanced flora
- Dysbiotic flora
Yeast Culture
- Normal yeast flora
- Dysbiotic yeasts and fungi
Viruses (PCR)
- Adenovirus F40/41
- Norovirus GI/GII
- Rotavirus A
Pathogenic Bacteria (PCR)
- Campylobacter (C. jejuni, C. coli, C. lari)
- Clostridioides difficile (toxins A/B)
- Escherichia coli O157
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) lt/st
- Salmonella spp.
- Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) stx1/stx2
- Shigella (S. boydii, S. flexneri, S. dysenteriae)
- Vibrio cholerae
Parasites (PCR)
- Cryptosporidium (C. parvum and C. hominis)
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Giardia duodenalis (G. intestinalis / G. lamblia)
Protozoa (Microscopy)
- Balantidium coli
- Blastocystis spp.
- Chilomastix mesnili
- Dientamoeba fragilis
- Entamoeba coli
- Entamoeba histolytica/dispar
- Entamoeba hartmanni
- Entamoeba polecki
- Endolimax nana
- Enteromonas hominis
- Giardia duodenalis
- Iodamoeba butschlii
- Isospora belli oocysts
- Pentatrichomonas hominis
- Retortamonas intestinalis
Nematodes - Roundworms (Eggs/Larvae)
- Ascaris lumbricoides eggs
- Capillaria philippinesis eggs
- Capillaria hepatica eggs
- Enterobius vermicularis eggs
- Hookworm eggs
- Strongyloides stercoralis
- Trichuris trichiura eggs
Cestodes - Tapeworms (Eggs)
- Diphyllobothrium latum eggs
- Dipylidium caninum eggs
- Hymenolepis diminuta eggs
- Hymenolepis nana eggs
- Taenia eggs
Trematodes - Flukes (Eggs)
- Clonorchis sinensis eggs
- Fasciola hepatica/Fasciolopsis buski eggs
- Paragonimus westermani eggs
- Heterophyes heterophyes eggs
Other Microscopic Markers
- Red blood cells (RBC)
- White blood cells (WBC)
- Muscle fibers
- Vegetable fibers
- Charcot-Leyden crystals
- Pollen
- Ova and parasites exam and macroscopic appearance
Who would benefit from this test?
This test is ideal for individuals with persistent or recurring digestive symptoms, including diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. It is also valuable for those experiencing fatigue, skin problems, allergies, anemia, or unexplained nutrient deficiencies that may be linked to gut infection or dysbiosis. People with IBS-like symptoms, recent travel to endemic regions, or suspected parasite exposure are strong candidates (IDSA, 2017).
When should I order this test?
Order when GI symptoms last more than a few days, recur frequently, follow travel or contaminated food/water exposure, or don't improve with basic dietary changes. It is appropriate when IBS-like symptoms could have an infectious or dysbiotic cause, or when you want to track microbiome recovery after antibiotic or antifungal treatment (IDSA, 2017; ACG, 2016).
How do I interpret the results?
Your report categorizes gut organisms into groups and flags pathogens with clinical significance. A clinician should correlate findings with your symptoms and use susceptibility data to guide treatment.
- Beneficial flora: Healthy organisms like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria; higher levels are favorable
- Imbalanced/commensal flora: Not inherently harmful, but overgrowth may contribute to symptoms
- Dysbiotic flora or yeasts: Overgrowths that may warrant treatment
- Pathogens detected: Bacteria, viruses, parasites requiring medical evaluation and treatment
- Non-pathogenic protozoa: May indicate exposure or dysbiosis; clinical correlation required
- Susceptibility results: Guide antibiotic or antifungal selection when treatment is needed
Fast fact: PCR-based detection of Giardia achieves approximately 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity, far outperforming single-sample microscopy (NIH/NLM, 2023).
Disclaimer: Reference ranges may vary by laboratory. Listed ranges are general guidelines and may differ from those used by the performing lab. Always consult your healthcare provider for interpretation.
Pre-test preparation
- 2 weeks before: Avoid antibiotics, antiparasitics, antifungals, probiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and bismuth
- 2 days before: Stop NSAIDs, laxatives (especially mineral oil, castor oil), digestive enzymes, activated charcoal, antacids, and bentonite clay
- Avoid collecting during active rectal bleeding or menstruation
- Wait at least 4 weeks after colonoscopy or barium enema
- Fasting is not required
How often should I get tested?
- After treatment: Retest if symptoms persist, infection was severe, or if you are immunocompromised
- Routine test-of-cure is not always necessary; follow your clinician's guidance
- Pre- and post-treatment testing is useful to track pathogen clearance and microbiome recovery
- Annual or as-needed testing may be appropriate for those with chronic GI conditions or repeated exposures
Why early detection matters
Intestinal infections and dysbiosis are more common than many people realize. A study in the Mississippi Delta found 38% of children had intestinal parasitic infections, and 73% of adults showed elevated intestinal inflammation. Early identification of pathogens or imbalances allows for targeted treatment, avoiding broad-spectrum antibiotics, reducing symptom duration, and preventing complications like malnutrition or chronic inflammation (IDSA, 2017).
Related tests you may consider
Comprehensive Stool Analysis plus Parasitology x3 (CDSA/P) - Doctor's Data Test Kit— helps people check the health of their digestive system using stool samples collected over three days. By looking at stool samples, it can find issues like infections, inflammation, and imbalances in the gut, and it helps doctors create better treatment plans for digestive problems like diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain.
Calprotectin Stool Test — Measures the level of calprotectin in your stool to detect inflammation in the intestines, helping doctors identify conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Effects Microbial Ecology Stool Profile - 3 Day - Genova Test Kit— Assesses the gut microbiome by detecting parasites, yeast, and various bacteria in stool (poop) samples collected over 3 days. This test is also available in a 1-day version.
