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Background: The assessment of the knowledge of Toxoplasma gondii infection among health professionals is essential to design an effective management strategy. The current study was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of health professionals working in urban public health centers of different parts of Rabat in Morocco. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 15 to June 15, 2017, in urban public health centers selected in the prefecture of Rabat in Morocco. A structured questionnaire was completed by participants and included questions on the epidemiology and diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and clinical issues related to the infection. Results: Ninety-six health professionals participated, including medical doctors, nurses, midwives, and laboratory technicians. Most of them were female (86, 89.58%). The mean age was 40.51 ± 10.26 years, and the mean length of time working in the field of healthcare was 15.92 ± 8.55 years. Eighty one percent (86, 81.25%) of health professionals knew the agent of toxoplasmosis, and 62 (64.5%) knew the definitive host of the parasite. Regarding clinical symptoms, 55 (57.29%) of the respondents knew that toxoplasmosis is an asymptomatic disease in immunocompetent persons. More than half of the respondents correctly identified the main routes of transmission: eating raw or undercooked meats, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and having direct contact with cats. However, only 29 (30.21%) of them believed that water can be a risk factor for the transmission of toxoplasmosis. Regarding diagnosis, only 14 (14.58%) health professionals knew about the avidity test. Conclusions: The implementation of educational interventions is recommended to raise awareness of toxoplasmosis among health professionals who provide prenatal care in public health centers.

Background Although toxoplasmosis is asymptomatic in most cases among pregnant women, it may cause newborn abortions and birth defects if the infection occurs during pregnancy. Therefore, raising awareness and promoting good practices of pregnant women towards toxoplasmosis disease is essential to avoid infection during pregnancy. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to assess toxoplasmosis awareness and its risk-related behavior pregnant women who attended public health centers in one of the biggest Moroccan cities: Casablanca. Methods A structured questionnaire was used to collect data including socio-demographics data, awareness of etiology, modes of transmission and preventive practices towards toxoplasmosis. Results This study survey showed that among 390 pregnant women interviewed, 41.2% reported having heard or read information regarding toxoplasmosis. Only 8.1% of them knew that toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, and 13.7% of those who gave a correct answer were aware that the host of toxoplasmosis is cats. There is a significant statistical association between age, level of education and profession of pregnant women and toxoplasmosis awareness. Despite of the majority of the interviewed pregnant women had had effective preventive practices towards toxoplasmosis, 17.4% of pregnant women were convinced that Toxoplasmosis can transmit to the fetus and 14.3% stated it is asymptomatic in most cases. Conclusion This study highlights the low level of knowledge and awareness of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in Casablanca/Morocco. Therefore, a special education program targeting all women during their reproductive age is necessary.

Leishmaniasis is considered one of the most neglected diseases worldwide. In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is an important public health problem. Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica are the two major species in this country. Despite all efforts, monitoring and control of the cutaneous leishmaniasis is still challenging. We used for the first time a vertical analysis of the control of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco from the document review and publications. This analysis allowed us to develop an epidemiological model that emphasized key possible interventions. No evaluation studies of these interventions in Morocco were done. Global Evidence underline the effectiveness of preventive interventions produced in integrate inter-sectorial strategy framework (e.g use of insecticide-treated bednets, indoor residual spraying and rodents' control) rather than treatments such as based thermotherapy, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, CO2 laser and paromomycin. Therefore, integrated vector management control (IVMC) with communityc participation is recommended as effective strategy. Strengthening of the IVMC with community involvement are necessary conditions to improve the program of cutaneous leishmaniasis and prevent epidemic foci appearance.

The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study is to evaluate the knowledge of toxoplasmosis among medical, biology, and veterinary students in Rabat in Morocco. The data was collected by using a questionnaire which includes demographic characteristics, epidemiology, diagnosis, and clinical issues related to knowledge of toxoplasmosis. During analysis, the study groups were divided based upon their specialty of students who were medical, biology, and veterinary students. Out of 230 students, 55.2% were female and 44.8% were male. The average age of the study population is 21.7 ± 02 years. Less than half (42.6%) have heard of the disease; most of them have heard from faculty during studies in classrooms with 75.8%, and 3.2% were from the internet. Only 36.5% knew the correct causative agent of toxoplasmosis, and 32.1% were aware of the definitive host. The current study documented that there are gaps in the knowledge of the students regarding toxoplasmosis. Therefore, the present study puts the basis for future studies highlighting the importance of educating students to improve knowledge and attitudes towards toxoplasmosis.