50-1-101. Definitions. Unless the context indicates otherwise, in this chapter, the following definitions apply:
     (1) "Communicable disease" means an illness because of a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host. The transmission may occur either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, a transmitting entity, or the inanimate environment.
     (2) "Department" means the department of public health and human services provided for in 2-15-2201.
     (3) "Inanimate reservoir" means soil, a substance, or a combination of soil and a substance:
     (a) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies;
     (b) on which an infectious agent depends primarily for survival; and
     (c) where an infectious agent reproduces in a manner that allows the infectious agent to be transmitted to a susceptible host.
     (4) "Isolation" means the physical separation and confinement of an individual or groups of individuals who are infected or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease or possibly communicable disease from nonisolated individuals to prevent or limit the transmission of the communicable disease to nonisolated individuals.
     (5) "Quarantine" means the physical separation and confinement of an individual or groups of individuals who are or may have been exposed to a communicable disease or possibly communicable disease and who do not show signs or symptoms of a communicable disease from nonquarantined individuals to prevent or limit the transmission of the communicable disease to nonquarantined individuals.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 197, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 28, Ch. 349, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 69-4102; amd. Sec. 85, Ch. 418, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 238, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 391, L. 2003.