--- title: "DC 6317 - Rickettsial, ehrlichia, and anaplasma infections" diagnostic_code: "6317" body_system: "Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders and Nutritional Deficiencies" cfr_section: "§ 4.88b" canonical: "https://veteranai.co/va-rating-schedule/infectious-and-immune/6317-rickettsial-ehrlichia-and-anaplasma-infections" source: "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.88b" updated: "2026-07-21T20:29:06.613087Z" --- # DC 6317 - Rickettsial, ehrlichia, and anaplasma infections Rated under § 4.88b. Body system: Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders and Nutritional Deficiencies. General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases ## Rating criteria | Rating | Criteria | | --- | --- | | 100% | For active disease | | 100% | As active disease | | 100% | As active disease | | 100% | As active disease | | 100% | As active disease | | 100% | Marked mental changes, moist dermatitis, inability to retain adequate nourishment, exhaustion, and cachexia | | 60% | With all of the symptoms listed below, plus mental symptoms and impaired bodily vigor | | 40% | With stomatitis, diarrhea, and symmetrical dermatitis | | 20% | With stomatitis, or achlorhydria, or diarrhea | | 10% | Confirmed diagnosis with nonspecific symptoms such as: decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness, inability to concentrate and irritability | | 100% | With congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome | | 60% | With cardiomegaly, or; with peripheral neuropathy with footdrop or atrophy of thigh or calf muscles | | 30% | With peripheral neuropathy with absent knee or ankle jerks and loss of sensation, or; with symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, anorexia, dizziness, heaviness and stiffness of legs, headache or sleep disturbance | | 100% | Marked mental changes, moist dermatitis, inability to retain adequate nourishment, exhaustion, and cachexia | | 60% | With all of the symptoms listed below, plus mental symptoms and impaired bodily vigor | | 40% | With stomatitis, diarrhea, and symmetrical dermatitis | | 20% | With stomatitis, or achlorhydria, or diarrhea | | 10% | Confirmed diagnosis with nonspecific symptoms such as: decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness, inability to concentrate and irritability | | 100% | As active disease | | 0% | As acute or asymptomatic chronic disease | | 100% | Not to be combined with ratings under DC 7809 Acute, with frequent exacerbations, producing severe impairment of health | | 60% | Exacerbations lasting a week or more, 2 or 3 times per year | | 10% | Exacerbations once or twice a year or symptomatic during the past 2 years | | 100% | AIDS with recurrent opportunistic infections (see Note 3) or with secondary diseases afflicting multiple body systems; HIV-related illness with debility and progressive weight loss | | 60% | Refractory constitutional symptoms, diarrhea, and pathological weight loss; or minimum rating following development of AIDS-related opportunistic infection or neoplasm | | 30% | Recurrent constitutional symptoms, intermittent diarrhea, and use of approved medication(s); or minimum rating with T4 cell count less than 200 | | 10% | Following development of HIV-related constitutional symptoms; T4 cell count between 200 and 500; use of approved medication(s); or with evidence of depression or memory loss with employment limitations | | 0% | Asymptomatic, following initial diagnosis of HIV infection, with or without lymphadenopathy or decreased T4 cell count | | 100% | Which are nearly constant and so severe as to restrict routine daily activities almost completely and which may occasionally preclude self-care | | 60% | Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least six weeks total duration per year | | 40% | Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities from 50 to 75 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least four but less than six weeks total duration per year | | 20% | Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities by less than 25 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least two but less than four weeks total duration per year | | 10% | Which wax and wane but result in periods of incapacitation of at least one but less than two weeks total duration per year; or symptoms controlled by continuous medication | ## Notes - Note 1: Rate under the appropriate body system any residual disability of infection, which includes, but is not limited to, bone marrow, spleen, central nervous system, and skin conditions. - Note 2: This diagnostic code includes, but is not limited to, scrub typhus, Rickettsial pox, African tick-borne fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, or anaplasmosis. # VA Disability Rating: Rickettsial, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma Infections (Diagnostic Code 6317) **Body System:** Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders and Nutritional Deficiencies **Regulation:** 38 CFR § 4.88b, Diagnostic Code 6317 **Rating Framework:** General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases --- ## What This Condition Covers Diagnostic Code 6317 addresses a group of bacterial infections carried by ticks, mites, fleas, and lice. According to the VA's notes, this code **includes, but is not limited to**: - Scrub typhus - Rickettsial pox - African tick-borne fever - Rocky Mountain spotted fever - Ehrlichiosis - Anaplasmosis These infections can affect the body in different ways during active illness and may also leave lasting effects after the infection itself resolves. --- ## How the VA Rates This Condition The VA rates Rickettsial, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma infections using the **General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases**. Under this framework, the rating generally reflects two things: 1. **Whether the disease is active**, and 2. **Any lasting residual disability** left behind after the infection. ### Active Disease - **100%** — Assigned **for active disease**. ### Residual Disability The VA's instructions (Note 1) state that any **residual disability of infection** should be rated **under the appropriate body system**. This includes, but is not limited to, effects on: - Bone marrow - Spleen - Central nervous system - Skin conditions In other words, once the active infection has passed, remaining conditions are evaluated according to the part of the body they affect, using the rating criteria that apply to that body system. --- ## What the VA Looks For When evaluating a claim under Diagnostic Code 6317, the VA generally considers: - **Whether the disease is currently active** — active disease is rated at 100%. - **What lasting effects remain** after the infection — these residuals are rated under the body system they impact (for example, bone marrow, spleen, central nervous system, or skin). --- *This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 6317 (38 CFR § 4.88b). It is provided for general educational purposes and describes how the condition is categorized within the VA rating framework. Individual ratings depend on the specific medical evidence in each case.* Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.88b