Typhoid Fever in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Systematic Review, 1990–2021

The occurrence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of typhoid fever in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are poorly characterized. Robust surveillance data are needed to inform strategies for typhoid control and prevention in the region. We conducted a systematic review of typhoid fever occurrence, complications, and AMR patterns in EMR countries. We identified 70 studies published from 1990 to 2021, including a total of 44,541 cases with blood culture confirmed typhoid fever in 12 EMR countries, with 48 (69%) studies and 42,008 cases from Pakistan. Among 56 studies with AMR data, fluroquinolone (68% of 13,013 tested isolates), and multidrug resistance (40% of 15,765 tested isolates) were common. Forty (57%) of the 56 studies were from Pakistan, and all reports of extensively drug resistant Salmonella Typhi (48% of 9,578 tested isolates) were from studies in Pakistan. Our findings support the need for continued efforts to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity for blood-culture detection of typhoid fever in the region, including data from an ongoing collaboration among CDC, the American University of Beirut, and the WHO EMR office.