a study of typhoid fever in five Asian countries: disease burden and implications for controls

To inform policy-makers about introduction of preventive interventions against typhoid, including vaccination.

A population-based prospective surveillance design was used. Study sites where typhoid was considered a problem by local authorities were established in China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Viet Nam. Standardized clinical, laboratory, and surveillance methods were used to investigate cases of fever of >or= 3 days' duration for a one-year period. A total of 441,435 persons were under surveillance, 159,856 of whom were aged 5-15 years.