trench fever

noun

, Pathology.

1. a recurrent fever, often suffered by soldiers in trenches in World War I, caused by a rickettsia transmitted by the body louse.

trench fever

noun

1. an acute infectious disease characterized by fever and muscular aches and pains, caused by the microorganism Rickettsia quintana and transmitted by the bite of a body louse

Word History and Origins

Origin of trench fever¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Lice carried an infectious disease called trench fever, characterized by chills and high fever, which put thousands of men out of action.

From Literature

Doctors will often treat the symptoms of a disease like trench fever with antibiotics.

From Washington Times

In 2019, a typhus outbreak hit Los Angeles’ notorious Skid Row, while the homeless living in Santa Monica dealt with a scourge of trench fever, contracted from body lice.

From Fox News

Last year, an outbreak of typhus hit skid row, and more recently, trench fever, transmitted by body lice, sickened people living on the streets in Santa Monica.

From Los Angeles Times

The county Board of Health issued advisories last year for outbreaks of rare diseases such as shigella and Bartonella quintana, known as “trench fever” when it spread among World War I soldiers.

From Seattle Times