SUMMARYA total of 106 children below 5 years of age admitted to the Kasturba Medical College Hospital Manipal Karnataka (South India) were investigated over a period of 6 months to determine the aetiologkal role of viruses in acute diarrhoea. Viral aetiological agents isolated were Rotaviruses in 12 (11 per cent) cases, Adenoviruses in 3 (3 per cent) cases, corona virus and astroviruses in two (2 per cent) cases each. Non-viral isolates were Cryptosporidium and Salmonella typhimurium in two cases each, and Entamoeba histolyticaand and Shigella flexneri in one case each.