Cases have occurred in all primary racial groups in the United States. The remainder includes, in order of decreasing frequency, patients with no identifiable risk factors, heterosexual partners of AIDS patients or persons in risk groups, recipients of blood transfusions, and KS patients with normal immunologic studies. Infant cases are recorded separately because of the uncertainty in distinguishing their illnesses from previously described congenital immunodeficiency syndromes.
Most cases continue to be reported among residents of large cities.
At the annual Conference of State and Territorial Epidemiologists in May 1983, the group affirmed the urgency of AIDS as a public health problem and passed, as one part of a resolution on AIDS, the recommendation that AIDS be added to the list of notifiable diseases in all states. The method of making a disease notifiable varies markedly in different states, ranging from a change in state law to regulatory action by the Board of Health or executive decision by the health officer. Some AIDS patients may seek treatment in cities other than those in which they reside and may be reported through health departments in cities where they are treated. CDC eliminates duplicate reports and assigns each patient to the city and state of residence at the time of reported onset of illness. Physicians aware of patients fitting the case definition for AIDS are requested to report such cases to CDC through their local or state health departments.