[4] This bacterial species caused outbreaks of trench fever affecting 1 million soldiers in Europe during World War I.

He infected volunteers with the bacterium, showing consistent symptoms and clinical manifestations of trench fever, proving etiology via Koch's postulates.

All of these processes result in patients possessing systemic symptoms (chills, fever, diaphoresis), bacteremia, and lymphatic enlargement.

B. quintana also induces lesions seen in bacillary angiomatosis that protrude into vascular lumina, often occluding blood flow; they are seen in B. quintana-induced endocarditis patients.

Release of an icosahedral particle, 40 nm in length, has been detected in cultures of B. quintana's close relative, B. henselae.

without consistent access to shower and laundry, and living in crowded areas, where the risk of coming into contact with other individuals carrying B. quintana and ectoparasites like body lice is increased.

Recent concern is the possibility of the emergence of new strains of B. quintana through horizontal gene transfer, which could result in the acquisition of other virulence factors.

To differentiate between different species, immunofluorescence assays that use mouse antisera are used, as well as DNA hybridization and restriction fragment length polymorphisms, or citrate synthase gene sequencing.