Socioecology of the Canine Population in the Province of El Jadida, Morocco.

Understanding the socioecology of domestic dog populations is essential for effective disease control, especially canine rabies. In Morocco, since 1986, the control efforts and plans put in place by the government have failed to eradicate this disease; this is because the management of the canine population was not taken into account during the establishment of these plans. It is against the background that this study was designed to estimate the dog population and determine its socioecological characteristics, as well as investigate the attitude of the inhabitants towards the dogs. A stratified random sampling was conducted using a structured questionnaire from May to December 2016. A total of 1931 households were interviewed, comprising 27.4% in urban areas and 72.6% in rural areas. A total of 3719 dogs were counted alongside a human population of 11302 for a dog : human ratio of 1 : 2.42 in rural areas and 1 : 46.58 in urban areas. The majority of dogs (92%) in rural areas were not vaccinated against rabies. In urban areas, about 88.5% were vaccinated against rabies. In addition, 78.5% of dogs in rural areas were free roaming, with more than 53% of births being abandoned by their owners, resulting in a large stray and feral dog population and increasing the potential for continued transmission of rabies virus. There was strong association between breed and rabies vaccination (p<0.05) and confinement with body condition score.

Echinococcus granulosus infection in dogs in Sidi Kacem Province (North-West Morocco).

This study was undertaken in the Province of Sidi Kacem in northwest Morocco between April 2010 and March 2011. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus (Eg) infection in owned dogs. This province was selected as a case study because of the social conditions, geographic and climatic diversity making it a model representative of many parts of Morocco. The survey was carried out in 23 rural communes and in the 5 municipalities (urban districts) of the Province and sampling was undertaken in randomly selected households. A total of 273 owned dogs comprising 232 from the 23 rural communes (rural dogs) and 41 from the 5 municipalities (urban dogs) were tested. Arecoline hydrobromide purgation was selected as the diagnostic method of choice to enable visualisation of expelled worms by dog owners, thereby imparting messages on the transmission mode of Eg to humans and farm animals. Of the 273 dogs tested, purgation was effective in a total of 224 dogs (82.1%). The overall estimated prevalence of Eg infection was 35.3% (79/224, 95% CI 22.3-47.0%). Dogs inhabiting rural communes were at greater risk of infection (38.0%, 95% CI 31.1-45.3%) than dogs roaming in municipalities or urban areas (18.8%, 95% CI 7.2-36.4%) and the prevalence of infection was higher in those inhabiting rural communes with slaughterhouses (62.7%, 95% CI 48.1-75.9%) than in communes without (29.1%, 95% CI 21.7-37.2%). This first assessment of Eg infection in Sidi Kacem Province indicates a key role of rural slaughterhouses in parasite transmission to dogs.

Integrated health messaging for multiple neglected zoonoses: Approaches, challenges and opportunities in Morocco.

Integrating the control of multiple neglected zoonoses at the community-level holds great potential, but critical data is missing to inform the design and implementation of different interventions. In this paper we present an evaluation of an integrated health messaging intervention, using powerpoint presentations, for five bacterial (brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis) and dog-associated (rabies, cystic echinococcosis and leishmaniasis) zoonotic diseases in Sidi Kacem Province, northwest Morocco. Conducted by veterinary and epidemiology students between 2013 and 2014, this followed a process-based approach that encouraged sequential adaptation of images, key messages, and delivery strategies using auto-evaluation and end-user feedback. We describe the challenges and opportunities of this approach, reflecting on who was targeted, how education was conducted, and what tools and approaches were used. Our results showed that: (1) replacing words with local pictures and using "hands-on" activities improved receptivity; (2) information "overload" easily occurred when disease transmission pathways did not overlap; (3) access and receptivity at schools was greater than at the community-level; and (4) piggy-backing on high-priority diseases like rabies offered an important avenue to increase knowledge of other zoonoses. We conclude by discussing the merits of incorporating our validated education approach into the school curriculum in order to influence long-term behaviour change.

Public health education/importance and experience from the field. Educational impact of community-based ultrasound screening surveys.

The public health educational impact of community-based ultrasound (US) surveys for cystic echinococcosis (CE) can form an important part of the development about the awareness of the importance of the disease in an endemic area. In addition to identifying asymptomatic carriers and thereby facilitating early diagnosis and treatment, such surveys can be used to impart important educational messages at the individual, household, community, regional and national levels. US surveys are usually appealing to rural communities where such services are not available but where the technique is generally appreciated by its application in a wide field of medical applications. The qualities of the test (painless, non-invasive and gives instant recordable results) are also attractive to participants during such surveys and the majority of the population in a selected study area choose to be screened. Two such surveys were carried out amongst the Berber people of the mid-Atlas mountains in central Morocco in May 2000 and 2001. Over 11,000 people were screened in the two 10-day surveys. Informed consent had been obtained through community meetings and with the chiefs of villages prior to the surveys being conducted. Individuals who volunteered to be screened entered the study and as far as is known there were no refusals. The concept of voluntary participation, the explanation of the life cycle and clinical manifestations of the disease and its prevention are all-important educational messages. The occurrence of CE is almost always known in an endemic community but is usually very poorly understood leading in many cases to a fear of the disease, especially amongst families with an infected individual who has previously undergone surgery. During the US survey considerable attention was paid to provide educational input before, during and after the survey. Information was provided at the start of the survey to local leaders, doctors, veterinarians and school teachers on the aims of the study and to obtain informed consent. At the start of the study everyone was individually schooled about the route of transmission of the parasite and how this may be best prevented. The knowledge level of those screened was assessed by showing hydatid cysts, either freshly obtained from the abattoir of from photographs. Animal cysts were recognised by almost everyone but its transmission and link to human disease was invariably unknown. Patients found to be infected with CE were always confidentially counselled and followed up for treatment, if required. Treatment options were explained to the individual or to parents in the case of a child. Local physicians participated in discussions on the WHO guidelines for the treatment of CE and all cases were fully discussed providing an educational element for the local doctors. The 1% US prevalence found sent an important message to the local politicians and the perceived importance of the disease had an impact at the leadership level. Local leaders made calls for a control programme. The long term educational impact remains to be evaluated as does the role such surveys play in the future collaboration of communities with the implementation of a control programme.

Comparison of the efficacy of Brucella abortus strain RB51 and Brucella melitensis Rev. 1 live vaccines against experimental infection with Brucella melitensis in pregnant ewes.

To test the efficacy of rough Brucella strain vaccines in sheep, a vaccine recently developed in cattle (Brucella abortus strain RB51) was assessed in comparison with the conventional Rev. 1 vaccine. Forty-five ewes from twelve to fourteen months of age, from brucellosis-free flocks, were allotted to three groups of fifteen ewes each. Group one was vaccinated by the conjunctival route with 1.73 x 10(8) colony forming units (CFU) of Rev. 1 vaccine. Group two was vaccinated subcutaneously with 11 x 10(9) CFU of RB51 vaccine and group three was considered as a control. All sheep were challenged at two to three months of gestation with 5 x 10(7) CFU of virulent B. melitensis H38. Vaccination with RB51 vaccine did not result in the production of any antibodies against the O-side chain of lipopolysaccharide, as measured by conventional serological tests (Rose Bengal plate test and complement fixation test). Protection of sheep against abortion and excretion of virulent Brucella strain in vaginal fluid, aborted foetuses and/or non viable lambs at parturition and abortion was significantly lower than that afforded by Rev. 1 vaccine. The difference compared to the control group was not significant. Data from this study suggest that the RB51 vaccine used for cattle vaccination does not provide effective protection of sheep against abortion induced by B. melitensis.