The court said that the Interior Ministry "failed to reduce the risk of Q fever for soldiers"

Bbad, 34, was released from the military for medical reasons in 2014 because of his Q fever, also known as Helmand group fever, and chronic fatigue symptoms.

Humans can catch Q fever after breathing dust from the feces of infected farm animals such as sheep, cattle and goats.

According to the NHS, the bacterial infection is "generally safe, but can cause serious problems in some people".

Theo Huckle, QC, told the court that his client's case was a known "well-established" risk for soldiers deployed in the developing Helmand group's fever zone, including Q fever.

Mr. Huckle told the court: "Essentially, the Complainant's complaint is that the Department of Defense did not take into account the relevant risks, being concerned about its policy of protection against malaria, Did not address the risk of group Helmand fever correctly men, and having failed to cope with the risk, not surprisingly, they took no action to deal with this risk. "

Mr. Bbad's lawyers stated that he was disabled, that he was suffering from anxiety and depression, as well as symptoms "greatly affecting his life and his functional ability".

The five-day trial, which began Monday at the Central County Court of London, will examine the extent of any military obligation to Mr. Bbad regarding Q fever. and if that obligation would have been broken.

In a statement setting out the defendant's case, MOD lawyers acknowledged that the risk of Q fever was predictable.

But he said the plaintiff "can not afford" to show that the use of Doxycycline as an antimalarial was the "only reasonable option"

The defense will argue that the plaintiff "can not show that the decision not to use doxycycline for prophylaxis against malaria and Q fever was unreasonable and tantamount to a breach of a common law obligation", or that "it is n He would not have been prejudiced if he had been prescribed Doxycycline. "

In 2016, a Royal Marine who contracted the debilitating infection won a landmark case against the MOD, receiving damages worth several million pounds to pay for her long-term care.

In 2017, a soldier hit by Q fever was granted compensation by the Department of Defense after army doctors tried to treat him with paracetamol.

What is Q fever?

The NHS defines Q fever as a "bacterial infection that can be contracted in infected farm animals".

The most common way to transmit Q fever to humans is close contact with livestock such as sheep, cattle and goats.

This includes contact with fur and wool, but also with the animal's placenta, blood and feces.

Although less likely, Q fever can also spread when you drink unpasteurized milk.

Although the infection does not always cause symptoms, some people who contract the infection may develop flu-like symptoms lasting up to two weeks.