| quarantine | The limitation on the freedom of movement of an individual, to prevent spread of a disease to other members of a population. (09 Oct 1997) |
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| quarantine period | The time during which an infected individual or an area is kept isolated, avoiding contact with uninfected individuals; can be any specified period of time, varying with the disease in question. The term is derived from the Italian word for forty, since the period of isolation of individuals suspected of plague in the Middle Ages was forty days. (05 Mar 2000) |