Malaria — VA Diagnostic Code 6304

Note 1: The diagnosis of malaria, both initially and during relapse, depends on the identification of the malarial parasites in blood smears or other specific diagnostic laboratory tests such as antigen detection, immunologic (immunochromatographic) tests, and molecular testing such as polymerase chain reaction tests.

Note 2: Rate under the appropriate body system any residual disability of infection, which includes, but is not limited to, liver or splenic damage, and central nervous system conditions.

DC 6304 says to evaluate under the General Rating Formula, with the two notes. This page does not say either form replaces that text.

38 CFR § 3.309(b) lists “Malaria.” The diseases in that paragraph shall be granted service connection as a result of tropical service if manifested to a compensable degree within the applicable time limits under § 3.307 or § 3.308, provided the rebuttable presumption provisions of § 3.307 are also satisfied. Paragraph (b) also covers resultant disorders or diseases originating because of therapy administered in connection with such diseases or as a preventative thereof.

38 CFR § 3.307(a)(4) is the tropical-disease time rule quoted above, including “standard accepted treatises.” 38 CFR § 3.308(b) applies to a veteran of 6 months or more of peacetime service before January 1, 1947, and it uses “standard and accepted treatises.” Paragraph (a) of § 3.308 says there is no provision for presumptive service connection for chronic disease, as distinguished from tropical diseases, based on peacetime service before January 1, 1947.

38 CFR § 3.317(c)(2)(iv) lists malaria among infectious diseases for a veteran with a qualifying period of service. Paragraph (c)(3)(i) says malaria must have become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within 1 year from the date of separation from a qualifying period of service, or at a time when standard or accepted treatises indicate that the incubation period commenced during a qualifying period of service. Paragraph (c)(3)(ii) defines qualifying period of service as a period meeting paragraph (e), or active service on or after September 19, 2001, in Afghanistan. Paragraph (c)(4) states the exceptions. This is not the § 3.309(b) sentence.

The table to § 3.317, column B under Malaria, prints these bullets: demyelinating polyneuropathy; Guillain-Barré syndrome; hematologic manifestations (particularly anemia after falciparum malaria and splenic rupture after vivax malaria); immune-complex glomerulonephritis; neurologic disease, neuropsychiatric disease, or both; ophthalmologic manifestations, particularly retinal hemorrhage and scarring; and renal disease, especially nephrotic syndrome. The same column also prints four italic species names: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium vivax. Paragraph (d)(2) says that if a veteran presumed service connected for a paragraph (c)(2) disease is diagnosed with a column B condition, VA will request a medical opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the column B condition was caused by the column A disease. That paragraph is not a rating percentage.

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309(e) does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.320 does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.320b does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.316 does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.309(f) does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.309(d) does not name it. Section 3.309(a) does not name malaria. 38 U.S.C. § 1120(b) does not use the word malaria.

A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.