PRINCIPLE OF QUARANTINE BIBLICAL

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying.When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sightbe deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:..."All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.(Lev.13:1-4,46)

About Quarantine and Isolation

Introduction

Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected. Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.

Understanding Quarantine and Isolation

Legal Authorities for Isolation and Quarantine

Fact sheet: defines isolation and quarantine; lists the communicable diseases for which federal isolation and quarantine are authorized by Executive Order; describes the authorities of federal, state, local, and tribal laws; defines who is in charge, CDC's role, and enforcement measures. (Updated December 2007)

Understand Quarantine and Isolation

These fact sheets were developed through a cooperative agreement between CDC and the American Red Cross. (On the CDC Emergency Preparedness & Response site)

Travel Restriction and Intervention Activities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, has implemented Federal travel restriction procedures to protect travelers and the public from communicable diseases that constitute a public health threat.

At the request of CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, persons who have a communicable disease constituting a public health threat, in addition to meeting specified criteria may be placed on the Do Not Board list and issued a Border Lookout, enforced by the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection, respectively.

For additional information and further guidance, health departments should contact the quarantine station in their jurisdiction. Please refer to the contact information found on the quarantine station contact list. For more background and a summary of the Federal air travel restrictions, please refer to Federal Air Travel Restrictions for Public Health Purposes – United States, June 2007 – May 2008, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on September 19, 2008.

Quarantine and Isolation in Perspective

History of Quarantine

Brief article describes how the concept of quarantine grew from a 14th century effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics up to the present state of the quarantine system in our nation today.