The disease is classically a five-day fever of the relapsing type, rarely with a continuous course instead.

It is also known as five-day fever, quintan fever, Wolhinie fever and "urban trench fever", because it occurs in homeless people and alcoholics .

In addition to malaria, minor maladies became very common; thousands of men suffered from blood diseases known as "sand-fly fever" and "five-day fever", which manifested in excessive temperatures, followed by temporary prostration, and few escaped severe stomach disorders.

Trench fever is also called Wolhynia fever, shin bone fever, quintan fever, five-day fever, Meuse fever, His disease and His-Werner disease (after Wilhelm His, Jr. and Heinrich Werner).