VA Disability Rating for Plague (DC 6307)

Diagnostic Code 6307 · 38 CFR §4.88b

What Is It?

Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, transmitted through flea bites. It has three forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. The VA uses the General Rating Formula: active plague at 100 percent, and residual damage rated under appropriate body system codes.

Rating Criteria

RatingCriteria
100%Active plague infection requiring treatment with confirmed diagnosis.
0%Treated. Lasting complications are rated under appropriate body system codes.

Evidence Needed

Lab confirmation of Yersinia pestis. Service medical records. Complication records. Follow-up evaluations. Documentation of lasting organ damage.

C&P Exam Tips

Bring all records from infection and treatment. Describe lasting effects. Have pulmonary function tests if pneumonic plague. Report residual lymph node issues.

How to File

File under DC 6307 with diagnostic confirmation. File residual organ damage as separate claims.

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes include not preserving records, failing to claim lung damage after pneumonic plague, not connecting residuals to the infection, and assuming the VA will not service-connect rare diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is plague still a real risk for military personnel?

While rare, plague exists in parts of Africa, Asia, and the American Southwest.

What residual effects does plague leave?

Pneumonic plague can leave lung scarring, bubonic can destroy lymph nodes, septicemic can damage kidneys. Each should be claimed separately.

Related guides

Procedural guides that go with this condition — useful while you're putting a claim together.

Gulf War Illness and Southwest Asia Presumptions →Burn Pit Exposure and PACT Act Claims — Complete Guide to Presumptive Conditions →Presumptive Service Connection — Conditions the VA Automatically Links to Service →C&P Exams — What to Expect and How to Prepare →Nexus Letters — The Medical Opinion That Makes or Breaks Your Claim →