Authors have made no progress with this protocol since 2008. In July 2016, the World Health Organization published a position paper regarding the introduction and use of the registered Dengue vaccine, CYD‐TDV (http://www.who.int/wer/2016/wer9130.pdf?ua=1). The length of time already spent on this review with little progress, and this position paper mean that a full review at this stage (December 2016) would probably not further assist policy‐makers. The decision has therefore been taken to withdraw the protocol.

Notes for 'Types of outcome measures'

1. Definition of dengue infections

   1. Asymptomatic or mild dengue: no obvious clinical signs but laboratory confirmation of acute or recent infection.

   2. Dengue fever (DF): clinical symptoms such as high fever, headache, muscle pain, eye pain, bone pain, and rash.

   3. Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF): clinical symptoms as for DF, including haemorrhagic manifestations, plasma leakage, and thrombocytopenia.

   4. DHF with dengue shock syndrome (DSS): clinical symptoms as for DHF including circulatory failure, haemoconcentration, and hypovolemic shock.

2. Definition of severe dengue: DHF with or without DSS (see above).

3. Methods for laboratory confirmation of dengue virus infection

   1. (a) Acute infection.

      1. Seroconversion by a 4‐fold or larger increase in immunoglobulin, IgG or IgM titre detected by: enzyme linked immuno assay (ELISA); haemaglutination inhibition (HI); or plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT).

      2. Viremia detected by: virus isolation; or reverse transcriptase polymerase reaction (RT‐PCR).

   2. Recent infection (within previous 3 months).

      1. IgM antibodies detected by: ELISA; HI; PRNT; or rapid enzyme linked immuno‐sorbent assays (kit formats).