Table 1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria for systematic literature review

Inclusion Criteria

• Published from 1^st January, 1990 to 31^st December 2013

• Listed in Pubmed OR Embase OR WHO OR PAHO data base

• Conducted in low and middle income countries based on World Bank definition [8]

• Blood culture was used for typhoid fever confirmation

• Diagnostic health facility covers clearly defined population OR a health care utilization survey provides a population denominator

• Study conducted in human subjects

• Study published in English

Exclusion Criteria

• Surveillance that did not deploy blood culture for typhoid fever confirmation

• Results from intervention arm of clinical trials

• Typhoid fever outbreak reports

• Government reports based on selected sentinel health facilities

• Studies estimating incidence based on mathematical models

• Hospital based surveillance where denominator is not defined or health care utilization survey was not conducted