RESUMEN
PIP: 170 children aged a few days to six years underwent outpatient examinations at a maternal-child health center in Tunis for acute diarrhea between July and September 1986. Examination and analysis of stool samples led to positive identification of etiology in 59 cases, or 34.5%. 27 cases were of bacterial origin, including 4 cases of salmonella, 7 of shigella, 8 of campylobacter, and 8 of E. coli. 21 cases of rotavirus were isolated, including 2 in which campylobacter were also observed, and one each in which E. coli and giardia were observed. Giardia were observed in 10 cases and ascaris in 1 case. 78% of the children were under two years old, 16% were two to four, and 6% were four to six. Most of the patients were from socioeconomically disadvantaged social strata. There were 91 boys and 79 girls. Among the 170 children, 3 were treated for moderate dehydration as outpatients and one was hospitalized with severe dehydration. 84 children without diarrhea and aged under six months served as controls. A positive etiology was found in 7.1% of controls, including 1 of campylobacter, 4 of rotavirus, and 1 of Giardia.^ieng