Epidemiological features of cutaneous leishmaniasis in diagnosed patients from an endemic area (central Morocco)

• Published in: Journal of parasitic diseases Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 762 - 768
• Main Authors: Amahmid, Omar, El Guamri, Youssef, Zenjari, Khalid, Bouhout, Souad, Ait Moh, Mohamed, Boraam, Fatima, Ait Melloul, Abdelaziz, Benfaida, Hilal, Bouhoum, Khadija, Belghyti, Driss
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.09.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age composition; Children; Control programs; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Epidemiology; Gender; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Infectious Diseases; Lesions; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Parasitic diseases; Public health; Tropical diseases; Morocco; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Clinical feature; Demographic data; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0971-7196; 0975-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01357-2

Cutaneous leishmaniasis represents the most neglected tropical disease across the world. In Morocco, this disease is endemic and constitutes a major public health problem, with a national control program been implemented. The current study aimed to determine the pattern and epidemiological features of cutaneous leishmaniasis in affected patients in an area covered by the CL control and prevention program (Central Morocco). A total of 161 patients suspected for cutaneous leishmaniasis were diagnosed according to WHO laboratory methods, and 82 cases were confirmed positive for CL. The reports were analysed by patients’ socio-geographic status, gender and age. The number and distribution of CL lesions by location, gender and age were investigated. Overall the confirmed cases, 89 % were infected by Leishmania tropica versus 21 % for Leishmania major . Females were significantly more affected than males ( p  < 0.01). Children (0–15 years), especially those ≤ 7 years of age, were the most affected. For the distribution of lesions, single lesion cases were largely preponderant (70.7 %) compared to multiple lesions. Face location was significantly more frequent (62.2 %) compared to limbs (26.8 %). Face lesions were found more prevalent in children than in adults while limb lesions were highly observed in adults. The pattern of the disease is affected by many factors (e.g. environment, gender, age, etc.) and has specifics to be considered in prevention and control programs in endemic areas.