History of North America

What conditions did soldiers contract from fighting in trenches World War 1?

Trench foot: This condition arose from prolonged exposure to damp and unsanitary conditions in the trenches. It caused feet to become swollen, red, and painful, and in severe cases, could lead to tissue death and gangrene.

Trench fever: Transmitted by the bites of body lice that thrived in the squalid trench conditions, trench fever caused high fever, weakness, headaches, and joint pain.

Dysentery: This diarrhoeal disease caused by poor sanitation and contaminated food or water supplies left soldiers severely dehydrated and weakened.