2.1. Study area
El Borouj (coordinates 07º36’W-32º29’N) and Sidi Hajjaj (07º24’W-33º06’43”N) are situated at an altitude of 410 and 547 m above sea level respectively, in the Settat province, central Morocco. Both localities are separated by only 51 km and have common rural features and an economic activity mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry. In both, the population is around 20,000 inhabitants and the average growth rate is close to 2%. ACL by L. tropica is endemic in El Borouj whereas no cases have been reported in Sidi Hajjaj (Ministry of Health, Morocco, 2016).