Quarantine period
QUARANTINE Quarantine has been defined as "the limitation of freedom of movement of such well persons or domestic animals exposed to communicable disease for a period of time not longer than the longest usual incubation period of the disease, in such manner as to prevent effective contact with those not so exposed". Quarantine measures are also "applied by a health authority to a ship, an aircraft, a train, road vehicle, other means of transpo or container, to prevent the spread of disease, reservoirs of disease or vectors of disease" . Quarantine may comprise (a) absolute quarantine, as defined above; (b) modified quarantine, e.g., a selective paial limitation of freedom of movement, such as exclusionof children from school; (c) segregation which has been defined as "the separation for special consideration, control of observation of some pa of a group of persons (or domestic animals) from the others to facilitate control 'of a communicable disease, e.g., removal of susceptible children to homes of immune persons". In contrast to isolation, quarantine applies to restrictions on the healthy contacts of an infectious disease. Quarantine which was once a popular method of disease control has now declined in popularity. With better techniques of early diagnosis and treatment, quarantine, as a method of disease control, has become outdated. It has been replaced by active surveillance. Ref : Park 23rd edition Pgno : 120
Median incubation period
Period of communicability
Max. incubation period
Min. incubation period
Epidemiology