A total of 164 samples were collected along the River Nile during the period from 1975 to 1981. The samples were examin ed for the presence of cytopathogenic active agents in different tissue culture cell lines. Of these samples 35 (21.3%) were found the harbour 5 different viruses. These were identified by the neutralization test in tissue culture cells. The identified agents were Polio 3 (one isolate), Echo (13 isolates), Coxsackie B (9 isolates), Influenza (8 isolates) and Herpes simplex (4 isolates).
The enteric viruses group, constituted the most prevalent part of the isolates (65.7%). Other viruses as Influenza (22.8%) and Herpes simplex (11.5%) were occasionally detected.