Report a disease to the San Francisco Department of Public Health

We depend on you to identify and report infectious diseases. You may be the first to see a potential outbreak, and every hour can count.

Report these unusual occurrences or patterns of disease to us within 1 hour:

1. Serious, unexpected, unexplained acute illness with atypical host characteristics
   • Examples: severe illness in a young patient without immunologic defects, underlying illness, recent travel or other exposure to a potential source of infection
2. Multiple similarly presenting cases, especially if these are geographically associated or closely clustered in time
   • Example: persons who attended the same public event or gathering or who work in the same building
3. An increase in a common syndrome occurring out of season
   • Example: many cases of influenza-like illness in summer
4. An unusual age distribution for common diseases
   • Example: many cases of chickenpox-like illness among adult patients who would be expected to be immune to varicella

HIV

New HIV Cases must be called in to the HIV reporting line:
Phone: (628) 217-6335

STIs and mpox

Phone: (628) 217-6653
Fax: (628) 217-6603

Tuberculosis

Phone: (628) 206-8524
Fax: (628) 206-4565
For urgent reports after hours, call (415) 918-5735 to page the on-call physician

Other communicable diseases

Urgent Reports 24/7 (General and COVID-19)
(415) 554-2830
After hours, follow instructions to page the on-call physician

Non-urgent Reports (General)
(415) 554-2830 (regular business hours)
(415) 554-2848 fax
cdcontrol@sfdph.org

Non-urgent Reports (COVID-19)
(415) 554-2830 (regular business hours)
(628) 217-7599 fax
cdcontrol@sfdph.org

25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94102
Regular business hours: Mon – Fri, 8 am – 5 pm

Physicians and health care providers, per Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, are legally required to report suspected, lab-confirmed, and clinical diagnoses of specific diseases and conditions within specified time frames to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Text from the California Code of Regulations, Title 17:

§2500. Reporting to the Local Health Authority

• §2500 (b) It shall be the duty of every health care provider, knowing of or in attendance on a case or suspected case of any of the diseases or conditions listed, to report to the local health officer for the jurisdiction where the patient resides. Where no health care provider is in attendance, any individual having knowledge of a person who is suspected to be suffering from one of the diseases or conditions listed may make such a report to the local health officer for the jurisdiction where the patient resides.

• §2500 (c) The administrator of each health facility, clinic or other setting where more than one health care provider may know of a case, a suspected case or an outbreak of disease within the facility shall establish and be responsible for administrative procedures to assure that reports are made to the local health officer.

• §2500 (a)(14) ‘Health care provider’ means a physician and surgeon, a veterinarian, a podiatrist, a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, a registered nurse, a nurse midwife, a school nurse, an infection control practitioner, a medical examiner, a coroner, or a dentist.

Phone numbers by topic

Animal bite reporting
Animal Care & Control, report online or report by fax at (415) 864-2866
For emergency dispatch, (415) 554-9400

Bat concerns
Animal Care & Control emergency dispatch, (415) 554-9400

Dead bird testing for West Nile virus
Report online or call (877) WNV-BIRD (968-2473)

HIV testing and prevention, including PrEP and PEP
City Clinic, (628) 217-6600

HIV PEP and needlestick hotline (Consultation for clinicians)
(888) 448-4911

Mosquito control
Environmental Health Services, (415) 252-3806

Pesticide concerns
Environmental Health Services, phone: (415) 252-3862; fax: (415) 252-3818

Restaurant sanitation complaints
Environmental Health Services, call 311

Sewage leak
Environmental Health Services, call 311

STI testing and prevention, including doxy-PEP
City Clinic, (628) 217-6600

Suspected food poisoning reporting
Environmental Health Services, call 311

Syphilis testing and treatment verification
City Clinic, 628-217-6639

Travel health and immunizations
AITC Immunization & Travel Clinic, (415) 554-2625

Unsanitary living conditions
Environmental Health Services, call 311

311, City Services Directory
311 Customer Service Center, call 311
 

Service-specific clinics

We provide specialized clinical services at the following sites:

• AITC Immunization & Travel Clinic: (415) 554-2625
• San Francisco City Clinic (sexual health): (628) 217-6600
  • For HIV PEP or PrEP, call (628) 217-6692
• Tuberculosis Clinic, TB Control Section: (628) 206-8524
   

Primary care clinics

The San Francisco Health Network offers low cost health care to San Francisco residents. No insurance or green card needed.

The San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium has 12 member clinics throughout the city. No one is turned away due to an inability to pay. Services are offered on a sliding scale, based on income and may be free depending upon an individual’s circumstances and programs offered.