Epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sidi Kacem Province, Northwestern Morocco (2006–2014)

ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiological profile of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sidi Kacem Province, North-Western Morocco between 2006 and 2014.MethodsThe Leishmania parasite (amastigotes) was identified by direct microscopic identification after staining. May-Grünwald Giemsa was the method used to diagnose CL in Sidi Kacem Province between 2006 and 2014. The collected data were exploited by using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and the geographical distribution was prepared by the Geographical Information System ArcGIS Version 10.2.ResultsFrom 2006 to 2014, 415 cases of CL were reported in Sidi Kacem area. The incidence of this skin disease that had affected all age groups was 49.1 cases per year and the sex ratio (M/F) was 0.85. Children aged 15 to 19 represented the most affected class with more than 28.2% of the study population. Also, CL affected virtually the rural and urban areas but with an uneven incidence. It is more important in rural areas where they were registered 56.85% of cases against 43.15% in urban areas.ConclusionsThe retrospective analysis has showed that cutaneous leishmaniasis is still major public health problem in Sidi Kacem Province. Indeed, this disease which presented an evolution according hyperendemic fashion can become endemic to the future in this province which borders the endemic area of Ouazzane. We highlight the cutaneous leishmaniasis incidence through the Sidi Kasem area during the last 8 years (2006–2014).