Body system: Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional DeficienciesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.88b
Campylobacter jejuni is a bacterial cause of acute gastroenteritis, typically from contaminated food or water, sometimes followed by reactive arthritis or Guillain-Barré syndrome. The VA rates this condition under the General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases (38 CFR § 4.88b): 100% during the active phase of disease (acute infection requiring treatment), then 0% under this DC once the active disease has resolved. Any lasting damage from the infection (residuals) is rated SEPARATELY under whichever body-system code best matches the deficit (chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (post-infectious irritable bowel) under the digestive codes, reactive arthritis under the musculoskeletal codes, and rare neurological sequelae (Guillain-Barré syndrome) under § 4.124a), then combined under § 4.25.
Rating levels
- 100% — You qualify for 100% during active Campylobacter jejuni infection. The 100% rating recognizes that an active systemic infection of this severity is incapacitating, regardless of which specific organ systems are affected at the time. Once the active phase resolves, the DC itself drops to 0% and any lasting damage is rated under the appropriate body-system codes.
- 0% — After the active phase of Campylobacter jejuni infection has resolved, DC itself rates at 0%. Any lasting damage (residuals) is NOT rated under this DC, instead it is rated under whichever body-system code best captures the damage, including chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (post-infectious irritable bowel) under the digestive codes, reactive arthritis under the musculoskeletal codes, and rare neurological sequelae (Guillain-Barré syndrome) under § 4.124a. Per 38 CFR § 4.88b General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases.
- -1% — Once the active phase of Campylobacter jejuni infection has resolved, DC itself rates at 0% and any lasting damage is rated under whichever body-system code best captures the deficit (chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (post-infectious irritable bowel) under the digestive codes, reactive arthritis under the musculoskeletal codes, and rare neurological sequelae (Guillain-Barré syndrome) under § 4.124a). Multiple residual ratings are combined under 38 CFR § 4.25.