Detection of microsporidia in travelers with diarrhea

We examined stool specimens of 148 returning travelers front an outpatient department for tropical diseases for the appearence of microsporidia using light microscopy and PCR. Intestinal microsporidiosis was diagnosed for fiv e patients by light microscopy and for nine patients by PCR. Some cases wer e diagnosed only by PCR, indicating that the true prevalence has to be dete rmined by highly sensitive techniques, such as PCR.