{"id":"F2025L00966","name":"Statement of Principles concerning ascariasis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 65 of 2025)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442926,"registerId":"F2025L00966-fast-fetch-1775957843943","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning ascariasis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 65 of 2025)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![RMA Australian Government Coat of Arms](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nStatement of Principles\n\nconcerning\n\nASCARIASIS  (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 65 of 2025)\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\nDated 22 August 2025\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nProfessor Terence Campbell AM\n\nChairperson\n\nby and on behalf of\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority\n\n \n\n \n\n   \n\n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Repeal\n\n5 Application\n\n6 Definitions\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\n9 Factors that must exist\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\n11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary\n\n1 Definitions\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n1.                Name\n\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning ascariasis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 65 of 2025).\n\n1.                Commencement\n\n\n              This instrument commences on 22 September 2025.\n\n1.                Authority\n\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n1.                Repeal\n\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning ascariasis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 9 of 2017) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2017L00015) made under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n1.                Application\n\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.\n\n1.                Definitions\n\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n  1.           This Statement of Principles is about ascariasis and death from ascariasis.\n\n\nMeaning of ascariasis\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, ascariasis means an infection with the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides or Ascaris suum.\n\n\nNote 1: The primary species involved in human infection is Ascaris lumbricoides.\n\nNote 2: Ascaris suum is a zoonotic species primarily infecting pigs but capable of infecting humans.\n\n1.           While ascariasis attracts ICD‑10‑AM code B77, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of ascariasis is that given in subsection (2).\n2.           For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.\n\n\nDeath from ascariasis\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, ascariasis, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's ascariasis.\n\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Basis for determining the factors\n\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that ascariasis and death from ascariasis can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans, members of Peacekeeping Forces, or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Factors that must exist\n\n\nAt least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting ascariasis or death from ascariasis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n1.           being exposed to Ascaris lumbricoides or Ascaris suum as a result of:\n  1.           being in contact with soil or sand contaminated with eggs; or\n  2.           being in contact with human or animal faeces contaminated with eggs; or\n  3.           ingesting food, drink, or airborne dust contaminated with eggs; or\n  4.           being in a tropical or subtropical region with poor sanitation; or\n  5.           being in warm and damp conditions with poor sanitation;\n\n\nwithin the 2 years before clinical onset;\n\n1.           inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for ascariasis before clinical worsening.\n\n\n1.            Relationship to service\n  1.           The existence in a person of any factor referred to in section 9, must be related to the relevant service rendered by the person.\n  2.           The factor set out in subsection 9(2) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, ascariasis where the person's ascariasis was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n2.            Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\n\nIn this Statement of Principles:\n\n1.           if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and\n2.           that factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA;\n\n\nthen the factors in that Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles as in force from time to time.\n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary  \n\nNote:               See Section 6\n\n1               Definitions\n\nIn this instrument:\n\n                                ascariasis—see subsection 7(2).\n\n                               MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n                               relevant service means:\n\n(a)          operational service under the VEA;\n\n(b)          peacekeeping service under the VEA;\n\n(c)          hazardous service under the VEA;\n\n(d)          British nuclear test defence service under the VEA;\n\n(e)          warlike service under the MRCA; or\n\n(f)           non-warlike service under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n                               terminal event means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes the following:\n\n(a)           pneumonia;\n\n(b)           respiratory failure;\n\n(c)           cardiac arrest;\n\n(d)           circulatory failure; or\n\n(e)           cessation of brain function.\n\n                               VEA means the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains the same narrow, specific scope as its 2017 predecessor and other Statements of Principles. It addresses only ascariasis and death from ascariasis in the context of veterans' compensation. There is no evidence of scope creep; it performs the same discrete function as the original instrument it replaces."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument (approximately 1,500 words)","Only 7 defined terms in the Dictionary (ascariasis, MRCA, relevant service, terminal event, VEA, plus two cross-references)","Simple binary structure: one exposure-based factor (subsection 9(1)) and one treatment-based factor (subsection 9(2))","Limited cross-referencing — only refers to parent Acts (VEA and MRCA) and ICD-10-AM classification system","No nested exceptions or conditional logic beyond the standard 'at least one factor' requirement and the specific limitation in section 10(2) regarding clinical worsening","Straightforward temporal limitation: 'within the 2 years before clinical onset'"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the Department of Veterans' Affairs' medical criteria (a Statement of Principles) for linking ascariasis to military service, replacing the 2017 version. It applies to veterans, peacekeepers, and current/former Defence Force members claiming under the VEA or MRCA.\n\nClaimants must show a plausible (\"reasonable hypothesis\") service connection — typically recent exposure to Ascaris (contaminated soil, food/water, dust, or deployment to tropical/unsanitary conditions) or an inability to obtain proper treatment that worsened the condition."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument expressly repeals the 2017 Statement (s4) and replaces it with an updated Statement that: defines ascariasis and death from ascariasis (s7); records the RMA’s view of medical‑scientific evidence (s8); specifies required exposure pathways and a two‑year pre‑onset window and inability to obtain appropriate clinical management as factors (s9); and applies to claims under VEA s120A and MRCA s338 (s5). The repeal plus these specified factors alters the operative criteria claimants must meet compared with the earlier instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-reference to multiple Acts and claim provisions (VEA s120A; MRCA s338) increases procedural linkage.","Medical causation framed as a ‘reasonable hypothesis’ with temporal window (exposure within 2 years) and specific exposure routes (s9).","Inclusion of death via terminal events expands covered outcomes and requires linking cause of death to prior infection (s7(3), Schedule 1).","Interaction with other Statements of Principles where factors overlap requires cross-application of separate instruments (s11).","Definitions of ‘relevant service’ list multiple categories (operational, peacekeeping, hazardous, nuclear test, warlike, non‑warlike) that affect applicability (Schedule 1).","Burden on claimants to show exposure linked to service and inability to obtain appropriate clinical management creates evidentiary and factual assessment requirements (ss9–10)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument replaces the 2017 Statement and sets the rules the Repatriation Medical Authority uses to decide whether ascariasis (including death from it) can be reasonably connected to a veteran’s relevant service for claims under the VEA or MRCA. It defines ascariasis, records the RMA’s view that medical‑scientific evidence supports service links (s8), and lists required factors: specified exposure routes within two years before clinical onset and inability to obtain appropriate clinical management; those factors must be related to the person’s relevant service (ss7–10)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-ascariasis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-65-of-2025/documents"}}