Explore BrainMass

Smallpox quarantine laws

Explain the quarantine laws regarding cases of Smallpox. Include some history of the disease, some know cases of Smallpox and their outcome (ie. quarantine, isolation), and the eradication of the disease.

Solution Preview

Quarantine laws regarding cases of Smallpox

State Quarantine and Isolation Statutes, Updated August 2010

In the National Conference of State Legislatures publication, the following may be useful for your understanding and assignment.

"Use of quarantine or isolation powers may create sensitive issues related to civil liberties. Individuals have rights to due process of law, and generally, isolation or quarantine must be carried out in the least restrictive setting necessary to maintain public health. Moreover, exercising state or federal power for quarantine or isolation is rarely necessary. CDC reports that: large-scale isolation and quarantine was last enforced during the influenza ("Spanish Flu") pandemic in 1918-1919. In recent history, only a few public health events have prompted federal isolation or quarantine orders:

&#61607; In 1963, a passenger arriving into the United States was placed under a federal quarantine order as a suspected case of smallpox."

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control handles the challenge of communicable diseases and while states, tribal health and local governments primarily manage disease outbreaks, the executive power of the president can take ultimate power with regard ...