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Background. RT-PCR is the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, but the lack of standardization of assays, whose diagnostic performance may widely vary, complicates the interpretation of the discrepancies that may be encountered. Study design. We conducted a retrospective study over a ten-month period at the Central Laboratory of Virology of Ibn Sina University Hospital of Rabat. We included nasopharyngeal swabs, positive and negative for SARS-CoV-2 on FilmArray BioFire® Respiratory Panel 2.1 Plus, which were subjected to our laboratory's reference test, MAScIR SARS-CoV-2 M kit 2.0, initially or after a freeze-thaw cycle. The results were compared, and each discrepant sample with sufficient volume underwent the third test, using ARGENE® SARS-CoV-2 R-GENE kit. Results. Of 80 SARS-CoV-2 negative samples on FilmArray, there were no discordant results, whereas of 80 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples on FilmArray, 21 had discordant results on MAScIR, and only 11 could be tested on ARGENE, revealing positive results in 6 cases. 12.7% and 76.5% correspond to the discordance rates for MAScIR (with one or both targets detected on FilmArray), while 14.3% and 100% correspond to those of ARGENE. As the estimated sensitivity and specificity of FilmArray, compared with MAScIR, were 100% and 79.2%, respectively, its lower limit of detection, and ARGENE assay results, made it difficult to distinguish between false positives on FilmArray and false negatives on MAScIR without further investigations. Conclusion. The implementation of a new assay in our laboratory revealed discrepancies suggesting a lack of sensitivity of our laboratory's reference test, leading us consequently to retain the SARS-CoV-2 positive result of these discordant samples on FilmArray, regardless of the detection of one or both targets. Our study, which is, to our knowledge, the first comparing FilmArray RP2.1 and MAScIR 2.0 assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection, highlights the urgent need to standardize RT-PCR assays for COVID-19 diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a zoonotic vector-borne disease that is endemic in the Mediterranean Basin including Morocco. Dogs play a major epidemiological role in this zoonosis as reservoir hosts. This study investigated the clinical manifestations of CanL in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. A total of 96 dogs presented to the Small Animal Clinic of the Hassan II Agronomy and Veterinary Institute (IAV Hassan II) of Rabat, Morocco, and were tested by RT-PCR and/or serology. Among them, 32 (33.3%) were positive to Leishmania infantum infection. The majority of the positive dogs (93.7%) came from urban areas. Most of them were male (62.5%) and purebreds (65.6%), were aged between 3 and 7 years (71.8%), and had outside activities (guarding, hunting, livestock guarding, and service activities) (71.8%) and all of them were living exclusively outdoor or had free access to the outdoor environment. Lymphadenomegaly (81.2%), dermatological disorders (65.6%) (mostly exfoliative dermatitis), weight loss (59.3%), exercise intolerance (56.2%), anorexia (28.1%), hyporexia (15.6%), and ocular lesions (28.1%) were the most frequent clinical signs and complaints recorded. Anemia and hyperproteinemia due to hyperglobulinemia were observed in 68.7% and 72.7% of the cases, respectively. These results suggest that CanL leads to various nonspecific clinical signs as described previously, making the diagnosis challenging. Since CanL is endemic in Morocco, it should be recommended to systematically test dogs displaying clinical signs compatible with this disease and to regularly screen asymptomatic at-risk dogs. It is also crucial to educate dog owners about the zoonotic aspect of the disease and to encourage intersectorial collaboration following the "One Health" concept, in order to contribute to a more effective control/prevention of human and canine leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: No population-based data of cancer incidence from Morocco have been published before. This is the first report of cancer incidence in Rabat from a population-based cancer registry for the period 2006-2008. Materials and methods: The cancer registry collects data on all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the resident population of the Rabat area. Data collection is an active process involving visits by registry staff to all data sources, essentially hospitals, pathological laboratories, and private clinics in Rabat. Results: A total of 2,473 new cases of cancer were registered among residents in Rabat during the period 2006-2008. The overall world age-standardised rate (ASR) for all sites combined was 136.6/100,000 for men and 114.5/100,000 for women. The most frequently diagnosed malignancies in males were lung cancer (19.0%, ASR 24.8/105), followed by prostate cancer (15.5%, ASR 22.9/105), colorectal cancer (8.8%, ASR 12.0/105), bladder cancer (6.9%, ASR 9.7/105), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (6.0%, ASR 8.2/105). In females, the most frequently reported malignancies were breast cancer (39.9%, ASR 43.4/105), followed by cervix uteri cancer (11.4%, ASR 13.0/105), colorectal cancer (7.5%, ASR 9.0/105), NHL (3.4, ASR 4.2/105), and thyroid cancer (3.4%, ASR 3.9/105). Of all cancers, 2% are observed in childhood (0-14 years), and ∼43% of them are malignant haemopathies. Conclusion: The data reported by Rabat Cancer Registry indicate that cancers of the breast, cervix, uteri, and colon and rectum in females and the lung, prostate, and colon and rectum in men are major cancers in the population of Rabat. The Incidences observed are sometimes different from those observed in the neighbouring North African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hip fracture has never been studied before, either in Morocco or in the adjacent countries of the south bank of the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of hip fracture in 2002 in Rabat Province, a large area in the northwest of The Kingdom of Morocco, by the use of register information and medical records collected from the five public hospitals of the region. The hip fracture data were restricted to cervical or trochanteric types. There was a total of 150 hip fractures (83 in women and 67 in men) in the over-50-year-old population in the Province of Rabat during 2002. The age-adjusted 1-year cumulative incidence of hip fracture was 52.1/100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 40.9-63.3/100,000] in women and 43.7/100,000 (95% CI 33.3-52.2/100,000) in men. The standardized incidence rate against the 1985 US population was 80.7/100,000 (95% CI 78.5-93.0/100,000) for women and 58.5/100,000 (95% CI 47.9-68.1/100,000) for men. The mean (standard deviation) age of patients with a hip fracture was 70.7 (9.4) years for women and 70.4 (10.0) years for men. The overall female-to-male ratio of hip fracture was 1.19 for age-adjusted hip fracture incidence and 1.30 for standardized incidence. A marked increase in incidence rate was found for both men and women with increasing age, becoming exponential after the age of 50 years. The mean age for hip fracture was 70.7 (9.4) years in women and 70.4 (10.0) years in men (P>0.05). Women had a cervical-to-trochanteric ratio of 0.97 compared to men, at 1.03. The characteristics of hip fractures described in this study suggest that fragility fractures occur in North Africa, although substantially less frequently than in most European, North American and Asian countries but more frequently than sub-Saharan African countries, in agreement with the north-south gradient observed in the epidemiology of osteoporosis. The low incidence of hip fragility fracture rate is most likely the result of reduced longevity in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the first known cases of avian infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and avian influenza in Morocco. Routine diagnostic work of the Institut Agronimique et Veterinaire Hasan II in April 28, 2003; Post-mortem examinations of birds from two flocks; Histopathologica examinations showing that most tracheas had very severe, acute tracheitis; Infection in most of the layer farms in the regions of Rabat, Temara by June 2003.