Microbiology Research 2012; volume 3:e7 Socio-economic and with fatal spontaneous evolution.1 The domes- tic dog constitutes the principal reservoir of Correspondence: Meryem Lemrani, Institut environmental factors infection and is important in zoonotic trans- Pasteur du Maroc, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, associated with Montenegro mission.2 The worldwide incidence of VL is Casablanca, Morocco. skin test positivity in an approximately 0.5 million cases per year.3 Tel. +212.661.46.48.18 - Fax: +212.522.26.09.57. E-mail:
[email protected] endemic area of visceral Visceral leishmaniasis is widespread in northern Morocco (Chefchaoun, Taounate, leishmaniasis in northern Key words: asymptomatic visceral leishmaniasis, Taza, Fes, Moulay Yacoub, Meknes, Sefrou, AL socio-economic factors, environmental factors, Morocco houceima and Sidi Kacem) (Figure 1). Few Montenegro skin test. epidemiological data are, however, available Salsabil Hamdi,1 Abdellah Faouzi,1 concerning its epidemiology and clinical fea- Contributions: SH carried out the project, con- Rajaa Ejghal,1 Abderahmane Laamrani,2 tures. However, a new type of cutaneous leish- ducted the field work, collected and analyzed Hamid Amarouch,3 Mohammed Hassar,1 maniasis due to Leishmania infantum was data, and prepared the final draft of the manu- 4 script; AF, RE, helped in the statistical analysis; Meryem Lemrani1 recently described. Before 1995, human vis- ceral leishmaniasis was not an obligatory noti- AL, HA, helped in the study design; MH, revised 1Laboratoire des Recherches et d’Étude fiable disease. The incidence of VL is about the manuscript; ML overviewed the study for sur les Leishmanioses, Institut Pasteur du intellectual content. 152 cases per year5 predominantly affecting Maroc, Casablanca; 2Service de children under the age of 5 years.