Figure 2.

Although IBS is ostensibly a functional disorder, IBS patients have been found to be infected with Blastocystis at statistically significant levels in Italy[37], Pakistan[25], the United Kingdom[24,26]but not Thailand [27]. A study from Pakistan identified an elevated serum antibody response to Blastocystis in patients from whom Blastocystis could not be cultured [36]. The figure for the UK includes IBS and chronic GI illness. Numbers shown represent the total number of participants in the study (symptomatic and asymptomatic).