Coexistence of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum in Sefrou province, Morocco

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been recently emerged in new foci, posing a public health problem. Increasing cases of CL have been reported during recent years in Sefrou province, a previously non-endemic area. The present study was designed for epidemiological and parasitological characterization of the disease for the first time in this area. The results of a retrospective analysis of CL cases reports, between 2000 and 2011 showed that the incidence was estimated to 463/100,000 inhabitants/year, with a total of 1242 cases were notified from 1997 to 2011. Most patients were infected in the sector El Menzel (22.81%) and Sefrou (20.51%). Other cases have been reported in the 15 other sectors, reflecting the geographical spread of the disease. The highest rate lesions were found in the age group of 9 years or less with significant differences (p-value < 2.2e−16) comparing to the older age groups. The most affected lesion was localized in the face (64%). The average number of lesions per patient was 2.35 with a maximum of 5 lesions. The clinical aspects of lesions were mostly crusted. The causative agents of CL in this province were identified as the coexistence of L. tropica and L. infantum by species-specific ITS1-PCR-RFLP assay. CL remains an emergent disease in Sefrou with an incidence and a continuously geographical spread. Recent environmental changes, auspicious to vectors had probably contributed to that situation.