Who is covered
Qualifying locations and dates under the PACT Act:
- Gulf War Illness (Southwest Asia) - Undiagnosed Illness & MUCMIfrom August 2, 1990Veterans of Southwest Asia theater (on or after Aug 2, 1990) with chronic undiagnosed illness or MUCMI of 6+ months duration may receive a presumption of service connection.
- Gulf War Illness (Afghanistan) - Infectious Diseasesfrom September 19, 2001Veterans who served in Afghanistan after Sep 19, 2001 are presumed service-connected for certain infectious diseases. Diagnosis generally required within 1 year of separation (tuberculosis and visceral leishmaniasis have no time limit).
Presumptive conditions (14)
With a qualifying diagnosis and the service above, VA presumes these conditions are connected to the exposure.
Chronic fatigue syndromeFibromyalgiaFunctional gastrointestinal disordersMedically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI)Undiagnosed illness with cardiovascular, muscle/joint, headache, neurological, neuropsychological, skin, respiratory, sleep, GI, or urological signsBrucellosisCampylobacter jejuniCoxiella burnetii (Q fever)MalariaMycobacterium tuberculosisNontyphoid SalmonellaShigellaVisceral leishmaniasisWest Nile virus
To see how these conditions combine with others, use the combined-rating calculator.
Documents VA asks for
- DD-214: establishes Gulf War-era service
- Personnel records / orders: confirms Southwest Asia theater
- Medical records showing 6+ months symptom duration: required for MUCMI / undiagnosed illness presumption
- Medical diagnosis within 1 year of separation: required for most infectious diseases
Related guides: Intent to File · C&P exam preparation · nexus letters
Legal authority and sources
38 CFR 3.317; PACT Act 2022 (Pub.L.117-168)