Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in community subjects with culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis. Methods: This was a prospective, community-based, cohort study, which followed patients with a recent history of culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis. IBS was diagnosed with the use of the Rome II criteria at 3 and 6 months after bacterial dysentery. Results: Sixty five cases were included and completed the 6 month follow-up. Thirty four cases (52.3%) were female. Salmonella was the pathogen most frequently identified and seen in 41 patients (63.1%). The cumulative incidence of IBS among patients with microbiologically proven bacterial gastroenteritis within a community was 9.2% and 12.3% at 3 and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. The duration of initial diarrhea (≥7 days) was associated with an increased risk for the development of IBS (aOR, 14.50 [95% CI, 1.38-152.72]; p=0.022). Conclusions: Our study suggests that the incidence of IBS among patients with culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis within a community is similar to that reported among Western populations. A large, prospective study is encouraged to confirm our results and to evaluate the influence of the microbial species on the epidemiology of IBS in Asian populations. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2012;60:13-18)