Fever, trench

Fever, trench
A disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the fronts in Europe. Trench fever was again a major problem in the military in World War II and is seen endemically in Mexico, Africa, E. Europe, and elsewhere. Urban trench fever occurs among the homeless people and people with alcoholism today. Outbreaks have been documented, for example, in Seattle, Baltimore (among injection-drug users), Marseilles (France) and Burundi. The cause of trench fever is Bartonella quintana (also called Rochalimaea quintana), an unusual rickettsial organism that multiplies in the gut of the body louse. Transmission of the rickettsia to people can occur by rubbing infected louse feces into abraded (scuffed) skin or into the conjunctivae (whites of the eyes). The disease is classically a 5-day fever. The onset of symptoms is sudden with high fever, severe headache, back pain and leg pain and a fleeting rash. Recovery takes a month or more. Relapses are common. It is now clear, that at least in its urban form among the homeless, trench fever can be associated with nonspecific symptoms or no symptoms (New England Journal of Medicine 340: 184-189, 1999). The organism (B. quintana) that causes trench fever also has been found responsible for a disease called bacillary angiomatosis in people infected with HIV and for infection of the heart and great vessels (endocarditis) with bloodstream infection. Trench fever is also called Wolhynia fever, shin bone fever, quintan fever, five-day fever, Meuse fever, His’ disease, His-Werner disease, Werner-His disease.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Trench fever — A disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the fronts in Europe. Trench fever was again a major problem in the military… …   Medical dictionary

  • trench fever — n. [from its prevalence among soldiers in the trenches in WWI] an infectious disease caused by a rickettsia (Rochalimaea quintana) transmitted by body lice, characterized by a remittent fever, muscular pains, etc …   English World dictionary

  • trench fever — trench′ fe ver n. pat a recurrent fever and pain in the muscles and joints caused by a rickettsia transmitted by the body louse • Etymology: 1915–20 …   From formal English to slang

  • trench fever — fever spread by body lice that was common in World War I soldier who fought in trenches …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Fever, Meuse — Named for the Meuse River area, one of the great battlegrounds of World War I. Also known as trench fever. Meuse or trench fever is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to… …   Medical dictionary

  • Fever, quintan — Quintan means recurring every 5 days, the characteristic duration of trench fever. Quintan or trench fever is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a …   Medical dictionary

  • Fever, five-day — Also called trench fever, this is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the fronts in Europe. Trench fever was… …   Medical dictionary

  • Fever, shin bone — Called shin bone fever because it characteristically causes fever and pain in the legs, this disease is also known as trench fever. It is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated… …   Medical dictionary

  • Fever, Wolhynia — Also known as trench fever, a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the fronts in Europe. Trench fever was again a… …   Medical dictionary

  • Fever — Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.).… …   Medical dictionary

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