Screen your gut for harmful microbes
A home stool-kit screen for 23 harmful gut microbes: the bacteria, E. coli strains, parasites and yeast behind gut infections, persistent tummy upset and travellers' diarrhoea. Self-collected, no clinic visit.
No referral. Collected at home with a simple kit.
How would you like to get started?
Order a home kit
We post the kit to you. Collect a small sample at home and send it back in the prepaid packaging.
Collect at a branch
Prefer to collect or drop off in person? Visit any branch, Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:00.
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Not sure which gut panel suits you? Message us on WhatsApp and we will help you choose.
WhatsApp usWhat does the screen check for?
Twenty-three harmful microbes that can disrupt the gut and drive infection: pathogenic bacteria, the main disease-causing E. coli strains, gut parasites and an overgrowth-prone yeast.
Yeast (fungal)
Candida albicans. Normally present in small amounts; it can overgrow after antibiotics, with a weakened immune system, or on a high-sugar diet.
Opportunistic bacteria
Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile), Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus. Often harmless residents that can cause trouble after antibiotics or when the gut balance is off, and can sometimes spread beyond the gut.
Respiratory bacteria also screened
Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae. More often linked to chest and sinus infections and rarely colonise the gut, but they are included in the panel for completeness.
Bacterial gut infections (food and water)
Campylobacter, Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio (cholera group), Plesiomonas shigelloides. Foodborne and waterborne bacteria behind gastroenteritis, picked up from undercooked meat, raw eggs, seafood or contaminated water.
Disease-causing E. coli strains
Enteropathogenic (EPEC), enteroaggregative (EAEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), Shiga-like (STEC), and enteroinvasive (EIEC / Shigella). The main illness-causing E. coli types, including the strain behind travellers' diarrhoea and the toxin-producing strain linked to bloody diarrhoea.
Parasites and protozoa
Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia. Gut parasites picked up from contaminated food or water, behind watery or greasy stools, bloating and amoebic dysentery.
Stomach
Helicobacter pylori. A common cause of stomach and peptic ulcers; long-standing infection is linked to a higher risk of stomach problems.
Which gut panel is right for you?
How it works
Order your home kit
Order online and we post it to you, or collect one at a branch. No doctor's referral.
Collect your sample at home
Follow the simple instructions to collect a small stool sample at home. Private and straightforward.
Send it back
Post it back or drop it at a branch in the prepaid packaging.
Results in 10 to 14 days
You receive a clear, categorised report within 10 to 14 working days, with a free certificate you can share with your doctor.
Who is this for?
Most useful if you have gut symptoms you want to get to the bottom of, or a possible exposure to check.
Persistent digestive symptoms
Diarrhoea, cramping or tummy upset that will not settle, and you want to check for a gut pathogen.
After travelling
You picked up gut trouble away from home, including travellers' diarrhoea that lingers.
After antibiotics
Your gut has not been right since a course of antibiotics.
Recurring tummy bugs
You keep getting gut infections and want to know what is behind them.
Food or water exposure
You may have eaten or drunk something that did not agree with you and want to check for foodborne or waterborne bugs.
Before a gut-health plan
You want to rule out harmful microbes before working on your gut with a practitioner.
What people say
Friendly and competent staff. Both at reception and the nurse. A much simpler process than going through doctors. Thank you ladies.
The staff at reception as well as the nurses are friendly and professional. I've also always received results timeously. I would give 10 stars if I could.
Highly highly highly recommend. The experience was painless and the practice was inviting and well kept. The report was extremely detailed and informative and I would have this as top of my list for preventive care.
Amazing experience, highly professional staff. Very reasonable prices. Highly recommend.
I cannot recommend Juliette and her team enough, friendly and kind from the get go. Bloods were drawn with minimal discomfort and the labs came back quickly.
Excellent experience at Epicentre. The staff were professional, kind, and took time to explain everything clearly. The facility was clean, booking was easy, and I did not feel rushed.
What this does not do
A home screen is a useful starting point. Read these points so you use the result well.
- This is a screen, not a diagnosis. Detecting a microbe does not always mean an active infection; your doctor reads your symptoms and results together.
- It does not replace urgent care. If you have bloody diarrhoea, a high fever, signs of dehydration, or symptoms in a baby, a young child, a pregnant person or someone with a weak immune system, seek medical care promptly.
- A negative result does not completely rule out an infection; an organism can be present below the level the test can detect.
- If a harmful microbe is found, your doctor or our team can guide you on the next steps and any treatment.
- Results are meant to inform a discussion with a registered practitioner.
Quick answers
Three walk-in labs
Durban
Mon to Fri, 08:30 to 16:00
Johannesburg
Mon to Fri, 08:30 to 16:00
Round out the picture
Medically reviewed by Dr Samantha Naidoo, MB ChB, FCP (SA), Medical Director at Epicentre Walk-In Labs. Reviewed 2 June 2026. Epicentre Aids Risk Management (Pty) Ltd provides diagnostic laboratory testing and does not provide diagnoses, treatment or prescriptions to the public; results are intended to inform discussions with a registered healthcare practitioner.
Screen your gut for harmful microbes
No doctor's referral, results in 10 to 14 working days. Order a home kit and collect your sample at home, or message us if you are not sure which gut panel suits you.