Conditions diagnosed during active duty or at any time after separation

The VA considers these undiagnosed illnesses presumptive if you served in a recognized location , a health care provider diagnosed you while you were on active duty or at any time after separation, and you've been ill for at least 6 months:

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illness
• Other undiagnosed illnesses, such as cardiovascular signs and symptoms, muscle and joint pain, and headaches

Conditions diagnosed within 1 year of separation

The VA considers these infections diseases presumptive if you served in a recognized location and a health care provider diagnosed you within 1 year of separation:

• Brucellosis
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
• Malaria 
• Nontyphoid salmonella
• Shigella
• West Nile Virus

Conditions diagnosed any time after separation

We consider these infectious diseases presumptive if a health care provider diagnosed you any time after separation:

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Visceral leishmaniasis

Gulf war locations for undiagnosed illness presumptive conditions

 If you served in any of these locations on or after August 2, 1990, the VA presumes your undiagnosed illness is associated with your service:

• Afghanistan (airspace not included)
• Bahrain
• Egypt (airspace not included)
• Iraq
• Israel (airspace not included)
• Jordan (airspace not included)
• Kuwait
• Neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria (airspace not included)
• Turkey (airspace not included)
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• The waters of the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Gulf War locations for infectious disease presumptive conditions

If you served in any of these locations on or after August 2, 1990, the VA presumes your infectious disease is associated with your service:

• Afghanistan (airspace not included and only service after September 19, 2001)
• Bahrain
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• The waters of the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

The VA has added more than 20 burn pit and other toxic exposure presumptive conditions based on the PACT Act. The full name of the law is the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. This change expands benefits for Gulf War era and post 9/11 Veterans. 

These cancers are now presumptive:

• Brain cancer
• Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
• Glioblastoma
• Head cancer of any type
• Kidney Cancer
• Lymphoma of any type
• Melanoma
• Neck cancer of any type
• Pancreatic cancer
• Reproductive cancer of any type
• Respiratory cancer of any type

These illnesses are now presumptive:

• Asthma that was diagnosed after service
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Chronic rhinitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
• Emphysema
• Granulomatous disease
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

On or after September 11, 2001

If you served in any of these locations on or after September 11, 2001, you have a presumption of exposure to burn pits or other toxins.

• Afghanistan
• Djibouti
• Egypt
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Syria
• Uzbekistan
• Yemen
• The airspace above any of these locations

On or after August 2, 1990

If you served in any of these locations on or after August 2, 1990, you have a presumption of exposure to burn pits or other toxins.

• Bahrain
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Somalia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• The airspace above any of these locations

If you served in any of these locations on or after August 2, 1990, you have a presumption of exposure to burn pits or other toxins.

• Arabian Sea
• Gulf of Aden
• Gulf of Oman
• Neutral zone between Iraq/Saudi Arabia
• Persian Gulf
• Red Sea