{"id":"F2020L01380","name":"Statement of Principles concerning dengue virus infection (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 79 of 2020)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":440641,"registerId":"F2020L01380-fast-fetch-1775956210413","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning dengue virus infection (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 79 of 2020)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n\n\n \n\nStatement of Principles\n\nconcerning\n\nDENGUE VIRUS INFECTION (Balance of Probabilities)\n\n(No. 79 of 2020)\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\nDated 30 October 2020\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n| The Common Seal of the Repatriation Medical Authority was affixed to this instrument at the direction of:
|\n| --- |\n| 
Professor Nicholas Saunders AO
Chairperson
|\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\n1 Name\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning dengue virus infection (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 79 of 2020).\n\n2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences on 30 November 2020.\n\n3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n4 Repeal\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning dengue fever No. 14 of 2012 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2012L00444) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n5 Application\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.\n\n6 Definitions\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n(1) This Statement of Principles is about dengue virus infection and death from dengue virus infection.\n\nMeaning of dengue virus infection\n\n(2) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, dengue virus infection means an illness caused by infection with dengue virus.\n\nNote 1: Typical clinical manifestations of uncomplicated dengue virus infection include fever, headache, eye pain, muscle ache, joint pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash.\n\nNote 2: Complicated forms of dengue virus infection are known as dengue with warning signs and severe dengue, or may be alternatively classified as dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Clinical manifestations of complicated forms of dengue virus infection include a low platelet count, severe bleeding, plasma leakage, fluid accumulation in the lungs and abdomen, shock, impaired consciousness and organ failure.\n\n(3) While dengue virus infection attracts ICD‑10‑AM code A90 or A91, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of dengue virus infection is that given in subsection (2).\n\n(4) 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\nDeath from dengue virus infection\n\n(5) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, dengue virus infection, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's dengue virus infection.\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\nOn the sound medical‑scientific evidence available, the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that it is more probable than not that dengue virus infection and death from dengue virus infection can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans 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\n9 Factors that must exist\n\nAt least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, dengue virus infection or death from dengue virus infection is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n(1) being exposed to dengue virus within the 14 days before the clinical onset of dengue virus infection;\n\nNote: being exposed to dengue virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n(2) inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for dengue virus infection.\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\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\n(2) The factor set out in subsection 9(2) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, dengue virus infection where the person's dengue virus infection was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n\n11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\nIn this Statement of Principles:\n\n(1) if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and\n\n(2) that factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA;\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 being exposed to dengue virus means:\n\n(a) being bitten by a mosquito infected with dengue virus;\n\n(b) being in a country or an area of a country at a time when there is dengue virus transmission;\n\n(c) having percutaneous or mucocutaneous exposure to blood infected with dengue virus; or\n\n(d) receiving a blood transfusion, blood products, a stem cell transplant or an organ transplant infected with dengue virus.\n\n dengue virus infection—see subsection 7(2).\n\n MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n relevant service means:\n\n(a) eligible war service (other than operational service) under the VEA;\n\n(b) defence service (other than hazardous service and British nuclear test defence service) under the VEA; or\n\n(c) peacetime service under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA and VEA are also 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":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the previous 2012 Statement (s4) and replaces it with updated, narrower mechanistic criteria: a 14‑day exposure window or inability to obtain appropriate clinical management as the qualifying causal factors (s9, s7). It also clarifies definitions of exposure and includes death from a terminal event contributed to by dengue (s7(5); Schedule). The instrument continues to apply to claims under the VEA and MRCA (s5)."},"complexity_factors":["Single-cause causation standard: requires one of two discrete factors (exposure within 14 days or inability to obtain appropriate clinical management) rather than multifactor causal chains (s9).","Defined medical terms and coding references introduce technical interpretation (definition of dengue virus infection; ICD‑10‑AM citation) (s7(2)–(4)).","Temporal limitation: a short 14‑day exposure window creates a narrow factual inquiry around timing of exposure and symptom onset (s9(1)).","Interaction with service connection rules: factors must be related to ‘relevant service’ under VEA/MRCA, requiring administrative linkage to types of service (s10; Schedule definitions).","Overlap with other Statements of Principles: cross‑application where factors refer to other conditions introduces cross-referential complexity (s11).","Death linkage: includes death from a terminal event contributed to by dengue, requiring proximate cause analysis (s7(5); schedule definition of terminal event).","Replacement of a prior instrument means claims may need comparison against earlier criteria for historical cases (repeal of No.14 of 2012) (s4)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles sets the medical criteria the Repatriation Medical Authority uses to decide whether dengue virus infection (including death contributed to by it) is connected to a person’s relevant service for VEA or MRCA claims. On the balance of probabilities it requires either exposure to dengue within 14 days before symptom onset or inability to obtain appropriate clinical management (ss7, 9, 5). The RMA’s finding governs whether a service connection for veterans’ benefits can be established."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains its original narrow scope. It replaces the 2012 Statement of Principles concerning dengue fever with an updated version covering the same condition (now termed 'dengue virus infection' to align with current medical terminology). The scope remains limited to establishing causal factors for this specific infectious disease in the veterans' compensation context, without expansion into unrelated conditions or broader policy areas."},"complexity_factors":["Short, focused instrument (approximately 1,500 words)","Only 6 defined terms in the Dictionary (Schedule 1)","Simple binary structure: two alternative factors in section 9, with one having a limitation in section 10(2)","Minimal cross-referencing—only refers to the parent Acts (VEA and MRCA) and one repealed instrument","Clear, non-technical definitions with explanatory notes for medical concepts","Single condition focus (dengue virus infection) rather than multiple diseases or complex causal pathways"],"plain_english_summary":"This replaces the 2012 dengue statement, updating medical and legal standards to recognise dengue virus infection—including severe forms and death—as potentially service-related. It applies to veterans and current/former defence members claiming under the VEA or MRCA.\n\nA successful claim requires evidence of dengue exposure within 14 days before illness (e.g., mosquito bite, travel in an area with transmission, contaminated blood exposure) or that service prevented proper treatment and worsened preexisting dengue. It standardises claims for personnel serving in tropical regions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-dengue-virus-infection-balance-of-probabilities-no-79-of-2020/documents"}}