The Impact of Quarantine on Military Operations

Quarantine is an effective public health measure that may be the best and last option for disease containment, especially when the diagnosis has not been established or no treatment plan exists for a given disease. The decision process for an installation commander must be different than in a civilian setting if the goal is to maintain operational capability. The focus must be on the initial 72 hours since the ramifications of a delay in action could be devastating to successful mission accomplishment and may result in unintentional global spread of disease. Given the inherent "fog of war," it may not be clear whether an outbreak has occurred, however early use of quarantine implementing the full spectrum of options gives a commander the best opportunity for disease containment while maintaining operational capability. This strategy is not dependent on the source or type of biologic agent encountered, but should be equally effective for a terrorist attack or a natural disease outbreak.

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