Lyme disease/lyme borreliosis

Lyme disease/lyme borreliosis — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Lyme disease/lyme borreliosis. DVA can only accept a claim for Lyme disease/lyme borreliosis if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

RH No. 17 of 2025 · BoP No. 18 of 20258 factors

Meaning of lyme disease/lyme borreliosis: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis : (a) means an infection with spirochete bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, which has been transmitted by the bite of a tick of the genus Ixodes, in a geographic location where Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis is endemic. (b) includes chronic untreated Lyme disease; (c) excludes Lyme-like illness;

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 17 of 2025

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis or death from Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being exposed to spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(2)
being bitten by a tick of the genus Ixodes infected with spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(3)
being in a geographic location where human Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis was endemic within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(4)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis before clinical worsening;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 18 of 2025

4 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis or death from Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being exposed to spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(2)
being bitten by a tick of the genus Ixodes infected with spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(3)
being in a geographic location where human Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis was endemic within the 33 days before clinical onset;
(4)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Lyme disease/Lyme borreliosis before clinical worsening;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for lyme disease/lyme borreliosis. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.