The authors present a series of patients admitted at the Department of Infections Diseases of the University Hospital in Plzeň in 2002, for acute diarrheal affections. Of the overall number of 1735 hospitalized in 2002 a total of 836 (48.2 %) patients were admitted for acute gastroenteritis. For a clinical and epidemiological assessment a series of children of over 5 years of age and adults, 549 patients in all, were selected. Etiologically have been verified 52 % of all cases of acute gastroenteritis. The most frequent cause of diarrhea were salmonelloses (26 %) and campylobacterioses (19.5 %). In a series of 14 patients out of a total of 107 etiologically unverified cases of gastroenteritis there have been revealed other diseases manifested by diarrhea. In the latter patients the authors have attempted to determine anamnestic, clinical and laboratory characteristics that would lead to a correct diagnosis.

        Key words: acute gastroenteritis - epidemiology - differential diagnostics of diarrhea.