Investigation of acute gastroenteritis in general practice--relevance of newer laboratory methods.

Over a nine-month period, all patients suffering from acute gastroenteritis, with diarrhoea as an essential component, who presented to a group practice in southern England were investigated using conventional laboratory methods, and also newer techniques of electron microscopy and search for species of Campylobacter. Rotavirus and Campylobacter were the two most commonly encountered pathogens.