VA Disability Rating for Visceral Leishmaniasis (DC 6301)
Diagnostic Code 6301 · 38 CFR §4.88b
What Is It?
Visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar, is a parasitic disease transmitted by sandfly bites. Veterans who served in the Middle East, Central Asia, or other tropical regions are at risk. The disease attacks internal organs, especially the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. The VA rates active disease at 100 percent with a mandatory re-examination six months after treatment ends. Residual organ damage such as liver disease and bone marrow problems is rated under the appropriate body system. Recurrence must be confirmed by culture, histopathology, or other diagnostic testing.
Rating Criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | Active visceral leishmaniasis during treatment. The 100 percent rating continues through treatment and for six months after, followed by a mandatory VA examination. |
| 0% | Successfully treated with no residual organ damage. Residuals including liver damage and bone marrow disease are rated under the appropriate body system. |
Evidence Needed
Lab results confirming Leishmania infection (serology, biopsy, or PCR). Deployment records to endemic regions. Treatment records. Follow-up labs monitoring for relapse. Documentation of residual organ damage.
C&P Exam Tips
Bring deployment records to sandfly-endemic areas. Have all diagnostic lab work available. Describe ongoing symptoms like fatigue or recurrent fevers. Report any persistent blood count abnormalities.
How to File
File under DC 6301 with diagnostic lab results and deployment records. If claiming residuals, include current labs showing ongoing abnormalities. Request periodic monitoring for reactivation. 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 visceral leishmaniasis, with no time limit on when it became manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more — on that route you do not have to prove an in-service event, only the qualifying service and the diagnosis. Outside that service, the evidence this page describes is what carries the claim. 38 CFR 3.317(d) lists three long-term health effects potentially associated with visceral leishmaniasis — delayed presentation of the acute clinical syndrome, post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis if it appears within 2 years of the infection, and reactivation of the disease in the context of future immunosuppression — and where a veteran presumed service connected under paragraph (c) is diagnosed with one of them, 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 getting tested when symptoms appear years after deployment, failing to preserve deployment records, accepting a 0 percent rating when residual damage persists, and not requesting follow-up monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can leishmaniasis reactivate years after treatment?
Yes, the parasite can remain dormant and reactivate, especially if the immune system becomes weakened. Follow-up monitoring is important.
Which deployment areas have the highest risk?
Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia have significant sandfly populations carrying Leishmania.