VA Disability Rating for Campylobacter Jejuni Infection (DC 6330)
Diagnostic Code 6330 · 38 CFR §4.88b
What Is It?
Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common bacterial causes of food poisoning. Veterans frequently encounter it during deployments. The VA uses the General Rating Formula. Campylobacter is a well-known trigger for Guillain-Barre syndrome, reactive arthritis, and uveitis. These residual conditions are rated under appropriate body system codes.
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | Active Campylobacter infection with confirmed lab results and ongoing symptoms during treatment. |
| 0% | Resolved. Residuals including Guillain-Barre syndrome, reactive arthritis, and uveitis are rated under appropriate body system codes. |
Evidence Needed
Stool culture confirming Campylobacter jejuni. Deployment records. Treatment records. Medical records of post-infectious complications. Nexus letter linking residuals to the infection.
C&P Exam Tips
Document the acute episode with dates and severity. Describe the likely food or water source. Report ongoing digestive symptoms. If you developed numbness, weakness, or joint pain afterward, describe the timeline.
How to File
File under DC 6330 for the acute infection. File Guillain-Barre syndrome, reactive arthritis, and uveitis as separate claims linked to the Campylobacter infection. For veterans with a qualifying period of service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, or in Afghanistan on or after September 19, 2001, 38 CFR 3.317(c) presumes service connection for Campylobacter jejuni infection that became manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within one year of separation from that service — on that route you do not have to prove an in-service event, only the qualifying service and the diagnosis. Outside that service or that window, the evidence this page describes is what carries the claim. On that route there is a further step: 38 CFR 3.317(d) lists all three of those residuals as long-term health effects potentially associated with Campylobacter jejuni, and where a veteran presumed service connected under paragraph (c) is diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome within 2 months of the infection, reactive arthritis within 3 months, or uveitis within 1 month, VA will request a medical opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that the infection caused it.
Common Mistakes
Common mistakes include not connecting Guillain-Barre syndrome to the Campylobacter infection, failing to claim post-infectious IBS separately, not preserving stool culture results, and overlooking reactive arthritis developing weeks later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does food poisoning lead to nerve damage?
Campylobacter bacteria have surface molecules resembling nerve tissue. The immune response can cross-react with nerves, causing Guillain-Barre syndrome 1-3 weeks after the GI infection.
Can I get service-connected for IBS from a deployment stomach bug?
Yes. Post-infectious IBS is recognized with strong research support linking it to bacterial gastroenteritis.