Although not usually life-threatening, diarrheal and more severe clinical variants of dysentery can compromise a military mission because of their potential for rapid transmission. AFRIMS has been a world leader in developing rapid and accurate diagnostic techniques for the etiological agents of diarrheal disease. Remarkable success has been achieved in recognizing diarrheagenic E. coli strains and in the identification of non-culturable enteric pathogens using DNA probes and PCR technology. Primers have been identified for the major targets and work focuses on inhibitor removal for PCR sample preparation. New causes of diarrhea have been identified by AFRIMS scientists working throughout Asia. Recently, a new agent of chronic diarrhea, Cyclospora, was identified at the field site in Nepal. Additionally, there are studies underway to track the widespread emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance in a number of different etiologic agents. A new attenuated Shigella vaccine is being tested for safety and community spread at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).