ABSTRACT
500 diarrheal stool specimens were obtained from infants and children suffering from acute gastroenteritis. Isolates of E. coli were identified by conventional methods and they were further subjected to phadebact ETEC-LT coagglutination test, suckling infant mouse assay and hybridization with synthetic enzyme labelled oligonucleotide probe for the detection of heat labile enterotoxigenic E.coli and heat stable enterotoxigenic E.coli. ETEC was detected in 20.8% of specimens. The rate of detection of LT enterotoxin by enzyme labelled LT probe was significantly higher than the phadebact ETEC-LT [McNemnar's X[2] =27.0089]. No significant difference for detection of ST by probe and suckling mouse was found [X[2]=0.05]. The DNA probe hybridization, is recommended for ETEC detection, as an easy rapid technique in minimally equipped laboratories