Hindawi Dermatology Research and Practice Volume 2020, Article ID 1896210, 10 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1896210 Research Article The Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and the Sand Fly: Knowledge and Beliefs of the Population in Central Morocco (El Hajeb) Karima El-Mouhdi ,1 Abdelkader Chahlaoui,2 and Mohammed Fekhaoui1 1Geobiodiversity and Natural Patrimony (GEOPAC), Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco 2Natural Resources Management and Development Team, Laboratory of Health and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco Correspondence should be addressed to Karima El-Mouhdi; [email protected] Received 28 April 2020; Revised 3 November 2020; Accepted 10 November 2020; Published 18 November 2020 Academic Editor: Markus Stucker Copyright © 2020 Karima El-Mouhdi et al. *is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic dermal disease transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female sand fly. Morocco hopes to eliminate all forms of leishmaniasis by 2030. *ese dermatoses pose a real public health problem in the country. Although the information is available on the disease, individual knowledge of cutaneous leishmaniasis and sand fly is not yet developed. Exploring people’s beliefs and popular behaviours about cutaneous leishmaniasis and its vector allows health officials to know the sociocultural aspects of the disease and to improve prevention and control actions. Objectives. To identify the knowledge of cutaneous leishmaniasis and its vector in the population in central Morocco. Methods. Based on the epidemiological data of leishmaniases in the province of El Hajeb, we conducted a field survey and personal interviews in April and May 2019, among 281 persons belonging to the localities where leishmaniases were registered. Results. Our results show that the participants use the concept of “Chniwla” (61.6%) for sand fly and the concept of “Hboub Chniwla” (50.8%) for cutaneous leishmaniasis; 24.6% of the respondents do not know how the disease is transmitted to humans and 43.7% use traditional treatments and home remedies to cure themselves. 44% of participants believe that sand fly does not transmit the disease to humans and only 6.4% were aware of their responsibility in vector control. Conclusions. *e study concluded that there is a need to simplify the scientific terminology in the health education of citizens regarding these dermatoses and their vector by integrating the popular concepts obtained in this study to raise public awareness and facilitate their involvement as active actors in the prevention of cutaneous leishmaniasis. 1. Introduction major (L. major) (54%), with rodents as the reservoir and Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) (43%) with the man as a Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected dermal disease reservoir, and finally, visceral leishmaniasis due to Leish- caused by Leishmania parasites transmitted to humans mania infantum (L. infantum) and the dog is its reservoir through the bite of an infected female sand fly [1]. Morocco [3]. is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Geographically, the presence of CL in the different re- a country with a high burden of CL with an incidence rate gions of the country is conditioned by the circulation of the of 5.62% and a population at risk of 14% [2]. Epidemio- Leishmania species in question. *erefore, the circulating logical data from the Moroccan Ministry of Health show species identified in the north is L. infantum; in the centre, it that the vast majority of leishmaniasis cases are of the was L. tropica, while in the south the two species of L. major cutaneous type (97%) while the rest are of the visceral type and L. tropica are responsible for the cases of cutaneous (3%) [3]. *e number of new cases of leishmaniasis reg- leishmaniasis [4]. Transmission is mainly anthroponotic in istered at the national level has increased with a pre- cases of L. tropica and zoonotic in cases of L. infantum and dominance of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania L. major [5–9]. 2 Dermatology Research and Practice Even though the fight against this dermatosis was offi- 2. Materials and Methods cially launched in 1997 by the implementation of a national programme to control leishmaniases [10], the health au- 2.1. Study Area. *e study was conducted in the province thorities announced that the epidemiological situation of CL (33°41’N, 5°22’W) located in central Morocco, at an altitude of is still worrying and that their elimination must be main- 1000 m and a temperate climate. Annual rainfall varies be- tained by 2030 to align with the health objectives of the 2030 tween 400 mm and 600 mm [16]. It is bordered to the east by sustainable development agenda in which Morocco was the province of Se´frou, to the west by the province of included [3]. Khe´missate, to the north by the prefecture of Meknes, and to At present, most of the work that was done on CL in the south by the province of Ifrane. It is a predominantly rural Morocco focuses on the eco-epidemiological and parasito- province with scattered groups of extended families attached logical aspects of the disease [7, 9, 11–13]. However, no to their farmland. With a population of 247,016 inhabitants 2 studies were made to describe the sociocultural aspects of the and a surface area of 2193.41 km , the province is organised disease. It is within this framework that the present study into 16 communes, of which 12 are rural [17]. Economically was conducted, for the first time notably in the centre of the and agroindustrially, the province of El Hajeb is celebrated country in the province of El Hajeb, to explore the beliefs nationally for its onion production (62% of national pro- and popular behaviours of individuals concerning cutaneous duction), it is an important area for the central region of the leishmaniasis and its vector. country and offers employment opportunities throughout the *e control and prevention of cases of CL attributed to year, and it is a meeting place for seasonal workers to par- L. tropica, whose disease reservoir is human, consists mainly ticipate in the cultivation and harvesting of onions (62% of of health education of the population at risk to protect national production) [18]. *ese workers come in particular themselves against the risk of sand fly bites and to consult in from neighbouring provinces such as Fez, Se´frou, and Moulay the event of the appearance of skin lesions in order to Yacoub, which have recently declared as endemic foci of minimise and limit the circulation of the parasite between cutaneous leishmaniasis in central Morocco [13, 19, 20]. individuals. In central Morocco, where CL due to L. tropica circulates [10], the importance of awareness and education 2.2. Epidemiological Data and Justification of the Study. of people is essential to control and limit the spread of these Epidemiological data on human cases of leishmaniases were dermatoses in these areas. *erefore, people suffering from obtained from the health authorities at the delegation of the CL should be encouraged to seek care from health profes- Ministry of Health at the level of El Hajeb province. Between sionals [14]. However, the perception of the disease and its 2013 and 2017, 21 new cases of leishmaniases were reported treatment greatly influences how people use health services and were the subject of an epidemiological study [12]. *e [14, 15]. *e success of programmes for the prevention and said study revealed the coexistence of the two forms of control of any human disease depends on the active par- leishmaniasis with a predominance of the cutaneous form ticipation of the community. *e involvement of the affected (81%) of the cases compared to 19% of the cases with visceral population is important to achieve the elimination goals of leishmaniasis. *e first age of the disease infestation among the leishmaniasis control programme. *e programme must the autochthonous cases was 13 months for LV and 24 understand the popular beliefs and behaviours of individuals months for CL. *e majority of the reported cases are in- regarding CL and its vector as they are crucial determinants digenous cases from rural areas (75%) of the new cases. 62% of community involvement. *e results of this study can of these cases are notified in the communes of Bitit and help health officials to improve the implementation of CL Laqsir, which are located near the commune of Ain Chgag control activities in central Morocco. Moreover, the results (province of Sefrou)´ [12]. *e said study concluded that the obtained can be used to propose a regional plan adapted to displacement of people seeking seasonal employment, the the sociocultural context and appropriate to accelerate the increase of exchange with neighbouring provinces that are process of CL elimination, especially in the central regions of declared highly affected by CL, and the existence of eco- the country. logical and environmental conditions favourable to the *e aim of this work is to explore beliefs and identify multiplication of disease-carrying insects and the prolifer- popular concepts surrounding the disease and its vector to ation of rodents increase the risk of the spread of CL disease understand the care-seeking behaviours of the population. in the population of El Hajeb, and education sessions will be *e specific factors sought are knowledge of cutaneous necessary to prevent such a situation. But awareness about a leishmaniasis disease, attitudes and behaviours related to disease first requires health professionals to have an idea the treatment of skin lesions, mode of transmission, sand about the population’s knowledge and beliefs about the fly, and preventive measures.