New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quarantine

Quarantine is enforced isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous (often disease). For example, due to the risk of introducing rabies from Continental Europe, the United Kingdom used to require all dogs (and, indeed, most animals) introduced to the country to spend six months in quarantine at an HM Customs and Excise pound; this policy was abolished at the beginning of the 21st Century in favour of a scheme generally known as Pet Passports, where animals can avoid quarantine if they have documentation showing they are up to date on their appropriate vaccinations.

In the case of people, quarantine usually raises questions of civil rights, especially in cases of long confinement or segregation from society. The first astronauts to visit the Moon were quarantined upon their return at a specially built Lunar Receiving Laboratory.

Some quarantine periods can be very short, such as in the case of a suspected anthrax attack, in which persons are allowed to leave as soon as they shed their potentially contaminated garments and undergo a decontamination shower. The purpose of such quarantine-for-decontamination is to prevent the spread of contamination, and to contain the contamination such that others are not put at risk from a person fleeing a scene where contamination is suspect.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

March 18, 2026

Your morning coffee or tea could be quietly supporting your brain health. A long-term study found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and better cognitive performance over time. The ...
A critically ill 33-year-old man survived an almost unimaginable scenario—living for 48 hours without lungs—thanks to a groundbreaking surgical approach. After a severe flu-triggered infection destroyed his lungs and caused multiple organ ...
Early life stress may set the stage for long-term digestive problems by disrupting the gut-brain connection. Studies in both mice and thousands of children found links to symptoms like pain, constipation, and IBS. Scientists discovered that ...
A key Alzheimer’s drug has finally revealed its secret. Researchers discovered that lecanemab works by activating the brain’s immune cells—but only through a specific part of the antibody called the Fc fragment. This piece acts like a trigger, ...
mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during COVID-19 but have limitations like waning immunity and complex production. Scientists are now testing a new platform called DoriVac, which uses folded DNA nanostructures to better control how the immune ...
Researchers have identified a surprising brain pattern that may help explain why people with ADHD often struggle to stay focused. Even while awake, their brains can slip into brief episodes of “sleep-like” activity during demanding tasks. These ...
A new clinical study suggests that successful root canal treatment may benefit more than just dental health. Patients treated for infected teeth showed improved blood sugar control, healthier cholesterol levels, and reduced inflammation over time. ...
A redesigned cancer immunotherapy is showing striking early results after decades of disappointment with similar drugs. Researchers engineered a more powerful CD40 agonist antibody and changed how it’s delivered—injecting it directly into tumors ...
A new UCLA Health study suggests that long-term exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos may dramatically raise the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found that people living in areas with sustained exposure had more than 2.5 times the ...
A clinical trial found that listening to specially designed music with auditory beat stimulation can significantly reduce anxiety. Among several listening lengths tested, a 24-minute session ...
Scientists have discovered that cells can sense far beyond the surfaces they touch. While individual cancer cells can probe about 10 microns ahead by tugging on surrounding collagen fibers, clusters of normal epithelial cells can combine forces to ...
Researchers have developed a tiny antibody that can find a common cancer protein and make tumors light up during PET scans. In tests with mice, tumors containing the protein EphA2 glowed clearly when the antibody was used. This could help doctors ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET