HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.083311v1 97/Supplement_1/S38    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shaw, F. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shaw, F. E.

Frederic E. Shaw, MD, JD, Karen L. McKie, JD, Clint A. Liveoak, JD, MPA, Richard A. Goodman, MD, JD, MPH the State Public Health Counsel Review Team

At the time of the study, F. E. Shaw, K. L. McKie, and R. A. Goodman were with the Office of the Chief of Public Health Practice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. C. A. Liveoak was with the Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Frederic E. Shaw, Public Health Law Program, Office of the Chief of Public Health Practice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, MS D-30, Atlanta, GA 30333 (e-mail: fshaw{at}cdc.gov).

From April 2004 through December 2004, we reviewed the express legal authorities of the 10 most populous US states to restrict the movement of persons to control communicable diseases. All 10 of the states possessed express legal authority to quarantine and isolate individuals, but the laws varied substantially. In the absence of declared emergencies, only 4 states had express authority to conduct area quarantine, and only 2 states had express authority to conduct group quarantine. During declared emergencies, 7 states had additional authorities for area quarantine. Express authorities are only part of states’ legal powers to employ such movement restrictions, but substantial variation in express authorities across states could present potential challenges for the coordination of large national or regional epidemics.