Urbanization of human visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco

Abstract

Human visceral leishmaniasis one of the seven most neglected tropical diseases in the world. In Morocco, HVL is widespread in all regions; but it is more common in the northern part with sporadic cases observed in the South. During the period between 2004 and 2013, the most affected Moroccan provinces were Taounate province, with 220 cases (16.09% of all cases), followed by Chefchaouen with 13.17% and Taza with 10.46% of the total cases. Children <5 years old are the most affected age group, most cases registered were male. Geographic distribution of HVL showed predominance in rural areas but we noted that it's opening to be urban.

Keywords

• Leishmania infantum
• Visceral leishmaniasis
• Epidemiology
• Urbanization
• Vectors
• Morocco