Early detection and risk factors of congenital hip dislocation in Morocco.

Congenital dislocation of the hip is a malformation of the lower limbs that could be complicated by a disabling physical handicap with long-term psychological and social repercussions if detected late. This study aims to describe the screening for congenital hip dislocation and to investigate the association between the occurrence of this anomaly and possible risk factors in Morocco. The study was based on the exploitation of the records of children treated at the trauma and orthopedics department of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, Morocco. It concerned 160 cases with a 5-year follow-up from January 2016 to March 2021. The results of the study showed that 56.7% of the affected children had a bilateral dislocation and 25.8% of the cases had a left-sided dislocation. The malformation occurred more frequently in females 69.2%. A familial disposition to the malformation was found in about 22% of the cases. The diagnosis was late (at walking age) in 61% of children following the onset of lameness with or without pain in 91% of children. In 41.87% of the hips, the reduction was surgical, with 28% failure dominated by acetabular dysplasia in 11%. The risk factors for congenital hip dislocation identified in our setting were dominated by sex, primiparity, consanguineous marriage, and the presence of a family history of dislocation. Communication of risk factors specific to our setting to healthcare personnel will allow them to guide the diagnosis and increase vigilance in the at-risk population for management that prevents the development of complications.

A Community Based Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Leishmaniasis in Central Morocco.

Leishmaniasis is a major health problem caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania, most commonly transmitted by infected female sand flies. Intersectoral collaboration is essential for the implementation of integrated vector management control with community participation. The present study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices of the population toward leishmaniasis in central Morocco. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using an administered questionnaire assisted by health professionals, on 750 people in the Marrakech Safi, endemic region of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Of those, 702 agreed to be recruited for our study, of which 63,5% were women, 48,1% were aged between 18 and 40 years, and more than half of the participants (60%) were from rural areas. Overall, the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAPs) for leishmaniasis are too poor for more than 85% of the population in the study area. Basic knowledge and perceptions of leishmaniasis were good for 14,6% of respondents. While, 4,5% of the members had good knowledge of CL, only 0,7% had good level of knowledge about vesciral leishmaniasis (VL). Furthermore 3,7% of those polled have favorable attitudes and preventive practices. No association was found between knowledge and age, province or occupation. However, rural residents were four times more likely than urbain residents to have good basic knowledge (ORA = 4,74; CI95%: 1,04 -22,05). In addition, the female gender also has the chance to possess good basic knowledge and perceptions 3 times more than the men (ORA = 3,18; CI95%: 1,16 -8,69). The low level of KAPs regarding leishmaniasis proves the lack of community participation in the fight against leishmaniasis in central Morocco.

Modeling and mapping the habitat suitability and the potential distribution of Arboviruses vectors in Morocco.

Mosquitoes transmit several agents of diseases and the presence of different species represents a threat to animal and public health. Aedes and Culex mosquitoes are of particular concern giving their potential vector competence for Arbovirus transmission. In Morocco, the lack of detailed information related to their spatial distribution raises major concerns and hampers effective vector surveillance and control. Using maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling, we generated prediction models for the potential distribution of Arboviruses vectors (Aedes aegypti, Ae. vexans, Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus, and Culex pipiens) in Morocco, under current climatic conditions. Also, we investigated the habitat suitability for the potential occurrence and establishment of Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus recorded only once in the country. Prediction models for these last two species were generated considering occurrence datasets from close countries of the Mediterranean Basin, where Ae. albopictus is well established, and from a worldwide database for the case of Ae. vittatus (model transferability). With the exception of Ae. vittatus, the results identify potential habitat suitability in Morocco for all mosquitos considered. Existing areas with maximum risk of establishment and high potential distribution were mainly located in the northwestern and central parts of Morocco. Our results essentially underline the assumption that Ae. albopictus, if not quickly controlled, might find suitable habitats and has the potential to become established, especially in the northwest of the country. These findings may help to better understand the potential distribution of each species and enhance surveillance efforts in areas identified as high risk.

TITLE: Modélisation et cartographie de l'aptitude de l'habitat et de la distribution potentielle des vecteurs d'Arbovirus au Maroc. ABSTRACT: Les moustiques transmettent plusieurs agents de maladies et la présence de différentes espèces représente une menace pour la santé animale et publique. Les moustiques Aedes et Culex sont particulièrement préoccupants compte tenu de leur compétence de vecteur potentiel pour la transmission des Arbovirus. Au Maroc, le manque d'informations détaillées relatives à leur répartition spatiale soulève des préoccupations majeures et entrave une surveillance et un contrôle efficaces des vecteurs. En utilisant la modélisation de l'entropie maximale (Maxent), nous avons généré des modèles de prédiction pour la distribution potentielle des vecteurs d'Arbovirus (Aedes aegypti, Ae. vexans, Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus et Culex pipiens) au Maroc, dans les conditions climatiques actuelles. De plus, nous avons étudié l'adéquation de l'habitat pour l'occurrence et l'établissement potentiels d'Ae. albopictus et Ae. vittatus signalés une seule fois dans le pays. Des modèles de prévision pour ces deux dernières espèces ont été générés en tenant compte des ensembles de données d'occurrence des pays voisins du bassin méditerranéen, où Ae. albopictus est bien établi et provient d'une base de données mondiale pour le cas d'Ae. vittatus (transférabilité du modèle). À l'exception d'Ae. vittatus, les résultats identifient la pertinence potentielle de l'habitat au Maroc pour tous les moustiques considérés. Les zones existantes présentant un risque maximal d'établissement et une distribution à fort potentiel étaient principalement situées dans le nord-ouest et le centre du Maroc. Nos résultats soulignent essentiellement l'hypothèse qu'Ae. albopictus, s'il n'est pas rapidement contrôlé, pourrait trouver des habitats convenables et a le potentiel de s'établir, en particulier dans le nord-ouest du pays. Ces résultats peuvent aider à mieux comprendre la répartition potentielle de chaque espèce et à renforcer les efforts de surveillance dans les zones identifiées comme à haut risque.