Bartonella quintana

Background

• Also known as trench fever

Epidemiology

• Present worldwide
• Most common vector-borne disease among homeless people in developed countries (US and Europe)
• Transmitted by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus)
• Humans are the reservoir

Clinical Manifestations

• Trench fever is a self-limited febrile illness
• Can rarely cause culture-negative endocarditis
• In immunocompromised people, can cause bacteremia, fever of unknown origin, skin and soft tissue infections