Trench fever, also known as Bartonella quintana fever or five-day fever, is a louse-borne infection caused by the gram-negative bacterium Bartonella quintana. It was first identified as a reemerging disease among poor and homeless people in the 1990s, especially during World War I, when many soldiers were afflicted with body lice and contracted trench fever. Numerous clinical problems, including persistent bacteremia, endocarditis, lymphadenopathy, and bacillary angiomatosis, are linked to the illness.
Living in crowded, unhygienic settings predisposes people to become infested with ectoparasites that can spread the infection. Body lice prevention techniques are essential for the primary prevention of trench fever. Trench fever is often not a dangerous condition and is easily treatable, but if it is not, it can have serious side effects, such as heart problems.
