- Bartonella quintana is the primary causative agent of trench fever, an illness historically associated with poor hygiene and body louse infestation during World War I. It is transmitted specifically by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus corporis).
- Unlike the other options, Bartonella quintana uniquely causes the recurrent fever, headache, and shin pain characteristic of trench fever.
- Other bacteria listed cause different diseases: Coxiella burnetii causes Q fever, Rickettsia prowazekii causes epidemic typhus, and Borrelia recurrentis causes louse-borne relapsing fever.

Reference: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 9th Edition, Volume 2, Chapter 179