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
trench fever in American English
an infectious disease caused by a rickettsia (Rochalimaea quintana) transmitted by body lice, characterized by a remittent fever, muscular pains, etc.
Word origin
from its prevalence among soldiers in the trenches in WWI