The Incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Among Community Subjects With Previous Acute Enteric Infection

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among community subjects with positive stool studies. This was a prospective cohort study whereby all individuals with stool-positive acute enteric infection (AEI) were recruited from 3 health regions in Ontario, Canada. Each person completed questionnaires regarding preinfectious bowel habit and their bowel habit 3 months postinfection. Manning and Rome I criteria were used to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. Two hundred thirty-one patients participated. Forty had preexisting IBS and were excluded. Of the remaining 191 patients, 7 developed irritable bowel syndrome, for an incidence of 3.7% (95% confidence interval: 1.0–6.3%). Fever during AEI was the only identifiable risk factor for developing postinfectious IBS (odds ratio, 11.96; P = .02). The incidence of postinfectious IBS in community subjects is 3.7%. Fever during the AEI may be an important risk factor for this condition.