Between February 1992 and January 1993 Campylabaeter species were isolatedrnfrom 86 (13.6%) of 630 patients with diarrhoea at Tikur Anbassa Hospital, Addis Ababa,rnEthiopia. In the same study population, shigellae were found in 11.7% and salmonellae inrn3.8%. Of the 345 paediatric patients, 72 (20.8%) and 13 (17.1 %) of the 76 controls lessrnthan 2 years of age had EPEC in their stools. No Yersinia enteroeolitiea was isolated.rnCampylobaeter species were found in all age groups, but the majority were isolated fromrnchildren less than five years of age (68.6%). Only 2 (0.9%) of 220 controls hadrneampylobaeter in their stools. Of the campylobaeters that were differentiated at speciesrnlevel, C. j ejuni accounted for 82.4% and C. coli for 17.6% of the isolates. Serotyping ofrneach strain was done, according to the methods of Lior, using 16 antisera against heatrnlabile antigens; 89.3% of the C. jejuni and 75% of the C. coli were typeable. Liorrnserotypes 1, 2, 4. 5. 6 and 7 were the most common among the C. jejuni, while Liorrnserotypes I and 2 were dominant among the C.eoli isolates. These serotypes accounted forrn63.2% of all isolates. More patients (53.1 %) presented for investigation of diarrhoea duringrnthe months of April through July but there was no significant difference in the isolationrnfrequency of the enteric pathogens studied throughout the year. Concomitant isolation ofrnShigella or Salmonella species was achieved in 12 of the Campylobaeter infected patients.rnIn general, eampylobaeter diaIThoea is not a severe disease . The most common symptomsrnand signs were watery diarrhoea in 82.4%, low grade fever in 78.4% and frequent vomitingrnin 45.9%. Dehydration ranging from mild to severe was observed in 25.4% of the 55rnchildren with campylobaeter infections.rnVitIrnOf the 55 children 67.2% had signs of malnutrition and most of them (47.2%) werernunderweight. The antibiogram for 85 strains of the campylobacters isolated showed thatrnall strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid,rnnorfloxacin, sulphonamide and tetracycline. All of the strains were resistant to cephalothin,rnwhile 51 (60.0%) and 50 (58.8%) strains were resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprimsulphamethoxazole,rnrespectively. This study indicates that campylobacters are an importantrncause of diarrhoea both in adults and children in Addis Ababa, and should be consideredrnroutinely in the diagnosis of patients with diarrhoea.