Trench fever

Introduction. 

Infections by Bartonella bacteria cause several fever-like illnesses in humans, including Carrión Disease, Trench fever and Cat-scratch disease.  Of these, Trench fever is the only one with an exclusively human reservoir. It is transmitted by the human body louse in crowded conditions, such as would have been common in the trenches of WWI, and among the homeless.

Summary

• Cause: Bartonella quintana
• Microscopy: Gram-negative short rods
• Transmission: Vector = Human body louse (human reservoir)
• Symptoms: Headache, fever, weakness, severe pain in long bones (tibia). Fever may recur at 5 day intervals
• Complications: Bacillary angiomatosis and endocarditis in immunocompromised
• Pathogenesis: Intracellular pathogen: Invasion of RBCs and vascular endothelial cells
• Treatment: broad spectrum antibiotics (gentamycin, erythromycin)

Links

• http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic212.htm
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1517551.stm