50-2-101. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, 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) "Institutional control" means a legal or regulatory mechanism designed to protect public health and safety or the environment that:
     (a) limits access to or limits or conditions the use of environmentally contaminated property or media;
     (b) provides for the protection or preservation of environmental cleanup measures; or
     (c) informs the public that property is or may be environmentally impaired or that there are limitations on the access to or use of environmentally contaminated properties or media.
     (5) "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.
     (6) "Local board" means a county, city, city-county, or district board of health.
     (7) "Local health officer" means a county, city, city-county, or district health officer appointed by the local board.
     (8) "Physician" means a physician legally authorized to practice medicine in this state.
     (9) "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: (1), (2)En. Sec. 2, Ch. 197, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 28, Ch. 349, L. 1974; Sec. 69-4102, R.C.M. 1947; (3) thru (5)En. Sec. 78, Ch. 197, L. 1967; Sec. 69-4501, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 69-4102(2), (3), 69-4501; amd. Sec. 87, Ch. 418, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 243, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 137, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 391, L. 2003.