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Myron G. Schultz, DVM, MD

JAMA. 1984;251(4):512-513.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

When the practice of quarantine was first introduced in Europe, outbreaks of diseases such as smallpox, cholera, plague, and yellow fever that were thought to be introduced by travelers from abroad led to the creation of many draconian regulations. Ships arriving in ports were kept at a distance and travelers were detained in isolation for 40 days before they were allowed to proceed to their destinations.¹ The fear of imported disease contributed to provincialism and stifled trade and travel.

How fortunate we are today that this fear has been removed. Liberal international health regulations have replaced harsh quarantine measures. Smallpox has been eradicated from the world and cholera, plague, and yellow fever are now mainly limited to rural areas of developing countries. International trade has burgeoned and long-distance mass air travel, one of the most extraordinary phenomena of our times, has transformed society. In 1981, an estimated 290 million . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Centers for Disease Control Atlanta

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