HIV Epidemiology Unit

Reporting HIV
Reporting AIDS

Reporting

For more information send us an email or phone 619-692-8505.

State regulations require reporting of HIV and AIDS cases to the local health department. California's disease reporting regulations not only specify what, when, where and how to report cases, but also include descriptions of monetary penalties to be imposed for failure to comply with these laws.

Why is Reporting Necessary?

Timely and accurate HIV and AIDS case reports provide this county with a better understanding of our local epidemic. Epidemiologists can monitor trends in populations being affected by HIV infection, project future numbers of HIV/AIDS cases and provide information for those responsible for planning for future health care needs and prevention and educational activities.

Failure to report in a timely manner may have an impact on current and projected funding needs. Funding formulas using data that represents under-reporting of HIV or AIDS cases may translate into under funded programs and services for those with HIV infection.

Health Care Providers: click on the *Healthcare Provider Toolkit *, for reporting forms, training information, reporting guidelines and regulations, and other provider reporting aids.

Reporting HIV

The State of California implemented HIV reporting regulations July 1, 2002 (California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2641.5-2653.2), amended by legislation April 17, 2006. The original regulations required health care providers and laboratories to report cases using a non-name code. The April 17, 2006 legislation requires HIV cases, like AIDS cases, to be reported by name. As with many other communicable diseases, this is a dual reporting process in which both health care providers and laboratories report. For laboratory-specific California HIV reporting regulations, click here.

When is HIV Reported?

Report an HIV case when a patient has a test result indicative of HIV infection (to report an AIDS case, see Reporting AIDS below). Tests indicative of HIV infection include:

Confirmed positive HIV antibody test (Click here for more information)
Any viral load test
Positive P24 antigen test
Positive viral isolation test
Positive Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT)
CD4+T-cell test (clinical laboratories may withhold report if they can demonstrate that the CD4+T-cell test is unrelated to a diagnosed case of HIV infection)

Providers report a patient once when a test result is indicative of HIV infection and once again if the individual meets the AIDS case definition. Always report a case even if you think the patient may have been reported by another provider. This helps ensure complete case capture, which is critical for local prevention and treatment funding.

Who Reports HIV?

Health care providers and laboratory directors or their designees are required to report all patients with a test indicative of HIV to the local health department (Epidemiology Program). In San Diego County, all HIV disease reports are processed by the HIV Epidemiology Unit, a part of the Epidemiology Program. When a laboratory has a test indicative of HIV infection, they report a limited amount of information to the Epidemiology Program and send the results to the provider. The provider then forwards a completed case report form to the Epidemiology Program.

What is Reported?

Reports of HIV cases to the Epidemiology Program shall include name, address, phone, racial/ethnic group, gender, date of birth, mode of transmission information, laboratory accession number, test reported and date of test and the name, address and phone of the person or facility making the report.

The Epidemiology Program is required by law to protect the privacy of any individual reported with HIV.

How to Report HIV?

HIV case reports should be sent to:

Samantha Tweeten, PhD, MPH
Health and Human Services Agency
Epidemiology Program
6160 Mission Gorge Rd, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92120

Providers also have the option of reporting cases by phone: (619) 692-8505.

For a more information about HIV reporting click on: Office of AIDS, HIV Reporting Laws.

Is Training Available?

Yes, free training is available. The HIV Epidemiology Unit can provide a free one-hour training, conducted on-site. To schedule training or for more information, call 619-692-8505 or e-mail us.

Reporting AIDS

AIDS has been required to be reported in California since 1983 (California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2500), and AIDS has always been reported by name to the Epidemiology Program.

When is AIDS Reported?

When an individual is diagnosed with one or more of the AIDS defining conditions listed below, their HIV care providers are required to report the case to the Epidemiology Program within 7 days of the diagnosis:

CD4+ T-lymphocyte count <200 mL/mm³
Candidiasis of the bronchi, trachea, or lungs
Candidiasis, esophageal
Cervical cancer, invasive
Coccidioidomycosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary
Cryptococcosis, extra-pulmonary
Cryptosporidiosis, chronic intestinal
Cytomegalovirus disease
Cytomegalovirus retinitis
Encephalopathy, HIV-related
Herpes simplex: chronic ulcers; or bronchitis, pneumonitis or esophagitis
Histoplasmosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary
Isosporiasis, chronic intestinal
Kaposi's Sarcoma
Lymphoma, Burkitt's
Lymphoma, immunoblastic
Lymphoma, primary in the brain
Mycobacterium avium complex or M. kansasii, disseminated or extrapulmonary
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, any site
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
Pneumonia, recurrent
Progressive multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Salmonella septicemia, recurrent
Toxoplasmosis of the brain
Wasting syndrome due to HIV

Diagnosis of AIDS in children less than 13 years of age includes all of the above list except pulmonary tuberculosis and CD4 count cut-offs. For more information, click here.

Recurrent bacterial infections (at least two episodes within a two year period) and lymphoid interstitial pneumonia/pulmonary lymphoid hyperplasia (LIP/PLH) are AIDS defining conditions for HIV infected children.

The original case definition of AIDS was established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1981. Additional conditions and diseases were added in 1985, 1987, 1999 and 2014. All case definitions and revisions are published in the CDC's publication entitled `Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report' (MMWR).

Who Reports AIDS?

AIDS is a condition listed in California's disease reporting regulations. The statute reads: "Every health care provider knowing of or in attendance on a case or suspected case of a disease/condition in Section 2500 is required to make a report. When a health care provider is not in attendance on a case, any individual having knowledge of a person with one of the reportable diseases or conditions is required to notify the local health department."

What is Reported?

Reports of AIDS cases to the Epidemiology Program shall include, but are not limited to, name, address, phone, racial/ethnic group, gender, date of birth, mode of transmission information, diagnosis and date of diagnosis and the name, address and phone of the person or facility making the report.

The Epidemiology Program is required by law to protect the privacy of any individual reported with AIDS.

How to Report AIDS?

Providers can submit a confidential case report form available from County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency. Forms can be sent to: