What diseases and illnesses killed the soldiers in World War I? Introduction Diseases killed a lot of people in World War I, because there wasn’t a lot of medicine and there was little medical knowledge. Some of the total amount of soldier deaths in World War I was caused by illness and disease. The diseases were caused by poor weather conditions, living spaces, overcrowding, food and poor hygiene. Sometimes soldiers would be given medicine and sent back to fight and that affected the performance of the soldiers on the battlefield. If the soldiers were gravely ill they would rest and be treated until they could fight again but a lot of them died. Some diseases were more extreme than others, and some, like shell shock, left long term effects …show more content…
Trench fever is carried by both body lice and ticks, but the bacteria it carries is what causes the disease. The bacteria is called Bartonella quintana. It is a highly contagious disease so if a soldier living in a crowded space has trench fever, it will spread to others fairly quickly. The body louse does not live on your body, but usually in the seams of your clothes however, it still sucks your blood. The louse causes itching, but the disease it carries is much worse. Fevers as high as 40 degrees celsius, dizziness eye and muscle pain, severe pain and sensitivity in the shins and rash are all symptoms of trench fever. It takes 1-2 weeks for the symptoms to start and the bacteria to enter your body. A patient can have the disease for 3-4 weeks. The western front was the main breeding area for these lice. The hygiene conditions were not that great, as they had limited access to washing areas and clean clothes. In the winter the men huddled together for warmth and the lice could easily pass from one person to another. Trench fever affected about 1 million British soldiers. Doctors would take a look at the condition of the soldier and often give them a pill and send them back to fight. Recovery to those who didn't die took a few