• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Disease Prevention and Control, San Francisco Department of Public HealthPopulation Health Division SF Department of Public HealthPopulation Health Division SF Department of Public Health

  • Infectious Diseases A to Z
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Communicable Disease
    • 24/7 Disease Reporting
      • Disease Reporting: Additional Information for Medical Providers
      • Influenza Reporting
      • Frequently Requested Phone Numbers 
    • Healthy Habits
      • How to Put on and Remove a Face Mask 
    • Publications, Data, and Reports
    • Infection Control
      • Infection Prevention and Control for Health Care Settings
      • Infection Prevention and Control for Long-Term Care Facilities
    • Infectious Diseases A to Z
  • Immunizations
    • Vaccines You Need
      • Adults
      • Children & Adolescents
      • Vaccines for Gay and Bisexual Men
    • Where to Get Immunized
    • Influenza (Flu)
    • Vaccine Safety
    • Immunization Programs
      • Flu Vaccine Programs: Ordering Information for Health Care Providers
      • Hepatitis Programs
        • Hepatitis Education
        • Hepatitis Vaccine Distribution Program
        • Perinatal Hep B Program
        • Programs for Asian and Pacific Islanders
      • California Immunization Registry (CAIR)
      • Vaccines for Children
      • San Francisco Immunization Coalition
      • Emergency Mass Prophylaxis Clinic Planning
    • Schools and Child Care
    • Resources & Materials
      • Vax Facts: Vaccine Updates
      • Immunization Links
      • Request Materials
      • Vaccine Management Plan
    • Information for Medical Providers
    • Provider Spotlight
  • AITC Immunization & Travel Clinic
    • International Travelers
      • Promoting Travelers’ Health
      • Yellow Fever Vaccine FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Immunization & Testing
    • Services for Businesses
    • Contact, Location, Hours, and Payments
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Prices
      • Low-Cost or Free Vaccines at AITC
    • Forms
    • Links
    • About AITC
  • Health Alerts & Emergencies
    • Prepare
    • Health Alerts
      • Sign Up For Health Alerts
    • Infectious Disease Plan
      • Emergency Exercises
    • Clinician Emergency Guide
    • Recognizing Bioterrorism
    • Programs and Activities
  • Tuberculosis Control
    • Tuberculosis Services
    • Tuberculosis Information For Medical Providers
      • LTBI Referral (Specific to Civil Surgeons)
      • Tuberculosis Screening Guidelines
        • Tuberculosis Testing
      • Tuberculosis Clinic Referrals Criteria
      • Managing Positive Reactions
      • Suspected/Confirmed Active TB Reporting
      • LTBI Risk Assessment Tools and Treatment Guidelines
      • Hospital Discharge
      • QuantiFERON Information
      • Infection Control Guidelines
      • Shelter Client Screening Guidelines
      • TB Resources for the Public
    • Publications
    • Reports
    • Links
    • San Francisco Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program (SFTBPCP) Supplemental Information
  • Public Health Laboratory
    • Laboratory Contact Information
    • Check COVID-19 and Influenza Test Results Online
    • Non-Diagnostic General Health Assessments (NGHA)
    • General Specimen Submission Guidelines
    • Forms for Specimen and Culture Submission
    • Laboratory Test Menu
  • STD Services
  • Infectious Diseases A to Z
  • About

General Specimen Submission Guidelines

Please note: refer to the specimen collection and storage guidelines for each test for information on individual testing requirements.

All specimens and cultures must be submitted to the laboratory with a completed requisition form (see links to the right for forms).  Regulations require all fields on the form to be completed, and any required information that is missing may lead to specimen rejection upon receipt.  Please be sure to type or write clearly, as forms that are not legible can lead to misrouting of results.  If you are a San Francisco-based clinician who is in possession of a San Francisco community health network (CHN) number, this number must also be included on the form for proper routing of results.

Specimens and cultures must be labeled with at least two of the following patient identifiers:

  1. Patient’s full first and last name
  2. Date of birth
  3. Medical record number

The patient identifiers on the specimen tube must match those provided on the accompanying requisition form.  Specify the specimen collection site (e.g. urethral, pharyngeal, cervical) on the tube, if necessary, for specimen identification.  Specimens containing biohazardous material must be submitted in a leak-proof bag or container and labeled accordingly.

The San Francisco Public Health Laboratory does not process urine cups for chlamydia/gonorrhea, Trichomonas vaginalis, or Mycoplasma genitalium NAAT testing – urine must be aliquoted into APTIMA urine collection kits in order to be tested.

New HSV 1/2 APTIMA Instructions

Starting November 29th, 2021, the San Francisco Public Health Laboratory will be changing the assay currently used for differentiating Herpes Simplex Virus 1/2 from HSV PCR to HSV TMA.  Please review the following letter for more details: HSV 1/2 TMA Letter.

Primary Sidebar

Public Health Laboratory

  • Check COVID-19 and Influenza Test Results Online
  • Non-Diagnostic General Health Assessments (NGHA)
  • Laboratory Contact Information
  • General Specimen Submission Guidelines
  • Forms for Specimen and Culture Submission
  • Laboratory Test Menu

CMR Forms

Medical providers: download the Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR) form to report a communicable disease

CMR Form

or download the COVID-19 CMR form to report COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths and POC testing by HCPs

COVID-19 CMR Form

Medical Provider Health Alerts

March 06, 2023

CDC Health Advisory: Increase in Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigellosis in the United States

February 16, 2023

Health Alert: Xylazine Identified in Overdose Decedents

December 21, 2022

CDPH Health Advisory: Lower Barriers to Prescribing COVID-19 Therapeutics to Mitigate Impact of COVID-19

View more health alerts

Footer

Contact

SF Dept of Public Health
101 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-2500

Web Links

  • SF Dept. of Public Health
  • City and County of San Francisco

Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Contact Us
Website by MIGHTYminnow

© Copyright 1998 - 2023, Department of Public Health, City and County of San Francisco