HIV/Hepatitis C Epidemiology & Surveillance Program
Page last updated 06/11/2026.
The HIV/Hepatitis C Epidemiology & Surveillance Program (HHESP) collects, analyzes, and shares local HIV and Hepatitis C data to provide a foundation for effective community HIV and Hepatitis C prevention and treatment efforts in San Diego County.
By law, health care providers and laboratories must report HIV disease and Hepatitis C to the local health department.
- Failure to report in a timely manner may impose monetary penalties and have an impact on current and projected funding needs.
On this page:
HIV
In San Diego County, all HIV disease reports are processed by HHESP in the Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch of the Public Health Services department. As with many other communicable diseases, this is a dual reporting process in which both health care providers and laboratories report.
- Laboratories report a limited amount of information to the Epidemiology Unit and sends results to the provider when a test is indicative of HIV infection. The provider then forwards a completed case report to the Epidemiology Unit.
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Health care providers can report a case by:
- Mailing a case report form to:
- Health and Human Services Agency,
Epidemiology Program
Attention: Samantha Tweeten, PhD, MPH
5530 Overland Avenue, Suite 410
MS P491
San Diego, CA 92123 - Calling (619) 692-8505, including pediatric cases.
- The Epidemiology Unit is required by law to protect the privacy of any individual reported with HIV.
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A case is reported when a patient has a test result
indicative of HIV infection, including:
- Confirmed positive HIV antibody test,
- Any viral load test,
- Positive P24 antigen test,
- Positive viral isolation test,
- Positive Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT), and/or
- 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).
- A case should always be reported, even if the patient may have been reported by another provider.
- Reports of HIV cases to the Epidemiology Unit shall include name, address, phone number, racial/ethnic group, gender, date of birth, mode of transmission information, laboratory accession number, test reported, date of test, and name, address and phone number of the person or facility making the report.
AIDS
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Health care providers are required to report a case within
seven (7) days of the diagnosis by:
- Mailing a confidential case report form to:
- Health and Human
Services Agency, Epidemiology Program
Attention: Samantha Tweeten, PhD, MPH - 5530 Overland Avenue, Suite 410
MS P491
San Diego, CA 92123 - Calling (619) 692-8505.
- The Epidemiology Unit is required by law to protect the privacy of any individual reported with AIDS.
-
A case is reported when an individual is diagnosed with one
or more the defining conditions below:
- CD4+ T-lymphocyte count <200 mL/mm 3
- 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
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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.
- 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.
- All case definitions and revisions are published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) publication.
- Reports of AIDs cases to the Epidemiology Unit shall include name, address, phone number, racial/ethnic group, gender, date of birth, mode of transmission information, diagnosis and date of diagnosis, and name, address and phone number of the person or facility making the report.
Health Care Provider Reporting Toolkit
Reporting
- HIV Only Adult Case Report Form
- For pediatric case reporting, call (619) 692-8505.
HIV-Related Programs and Information:
County of San Diego
- HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Branch: Offers a number of services, including free HIV testing, case management and treatment assistance.
- Partner Counseling and Referral Services: no-cost, voluntary, and confidential service to notify the partners of HIV+ clients.
CDC
- 2014 CDC Revised Surveillance Case Definition for HIV Infection
- 2008 CDC Revised Surveillance Case Definitions for HIV Infection
- Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.
HIV/AIDS Reporting Training
HHESP can provide a free one-hour training, conducted on-site, for health care providers and/or laboratory staff.
- To schedule training or for more information, call 619-692-8505 or send an e-mail.
Other
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Effective 14, 2003, the final Privacy Rule allows HIV and AIDS reporting as part of permitted disclosures for public health activities. No consent or authorization is required. This is supported by California Civil Code
State
National
- AIDSVu (interactive online mapping tool)
- America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD)
- HIV Testing Resources (HIV.gov)
For more information, contact the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499 or send us an e-mail.
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