Can I collect a fecal sample when I have diarrhea?

We would recommend waiting for the diarrhea to pass as it is unlikely to be a representative sample of your normal microbiome. If you frequently experience diarrhea and is interested in determining if a bacterial pathogen is responsible for the diarrhea, then you can go ahead and collect your sample. Note that you would need to check the advanced section of your results as we do not currently include all pathogens in our dashboard view. We also do not currently include a bacterial category (e.g. pathogen, probiotic, commensal) in our advanced section, so further research from your side would be necessary to find it meaningful. A pathogen focused test might be a better alternative. Please seek advice from a medical professional.