What is WW1 trench fever that has been identified in a man in Canada?

Team Udayavani, Dec 8, 2020, 12:14 PM IST

A disease transmitted by body lice that plagued soldiers during World War 1 (WW1) has been identified in a former homeless man in Canada.

Trench fever is caused by the bacterium Bartonella quintana and is spread by the faeces of body lice. Symptoms of trench fever include recurring fever, pain in the shins and back, headaches and dizziness

Trench fever can lead to a potentially fatal heart infection known as endocarditis. The molecular testing and consultation with infectious disease experts is often needed for diagnosis.

According to The Guardian, Doctors in Canada say they have found trench fever-causing bacteria and associated heart problems in a formerly homeless man in Winnipeg, and that three other cases had been recorded among similarly vulnerable men in the city over a six-month period this year.

One man was left with paralysis and speech difficulties after the infection led to a bleed in his brain.

It is not the first time trench fever has been identified in recent years. Some cases have occurred in healthy people with a low risk of body lice, but experts say the disease is particularly common among the homeless.