COMMUNICABLE DISEASE 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
FOR THE 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA* 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
300 Indiana Avenue, N. W. 
Washington 1, D. C. 
1947 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
FOR THE 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
George C. Ruhland, M.D. 
Health Officer TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Section Page 
Act to authorize Commissioners to 
make regulations to prevent and 
control communicable and prevent- 
able diseases __ 1 1 
Ambulance Service 9 23,26 
Communicable diseases defined (gen- 
eral) 2 1 
Communicable diseases listed 1 (b) 8, 9 
Confidential Records 10 23 
Copy order for detention 4 2 
Definition of. Terms 1 (c) 9-11 
Detention of persons 6,7 (a) 4 
Duties of Physicians in Attendance.- 2 (a),3 11,13 
Duty of Health Officer, or agent 5 3 
Food Handlers 1 (n),7 11,23 
Funerals (burial and movement of 
bodies) 12 24 
Inspection authorization 8 5 
Investigation of Communicable Dis- 
eases 4 13 
Isolation (Admission to Hospitals) 26 
Isolation and Restriction of Move- 
ment (general) 5 14,15 
Isolation, Quarantine, and Restriction 
of Movement (specific) 6 15-23 
Laboratory Facilities 26 
Laboratory Specimens T 11 23 
(bacteriological) 11 23 
(serological) 11 23 
List of Culture Tube Stations 27 
Movement of Persons Affected 9 23 
Dbstruct or resist 9 5 
Pay and Free Patients T 26 
Penalty 10,13 6, 25 
Release of Persons (general) 8 23 
(Affected) _ 9 23 
Reporting of Communicable Dis- 
eases 2 11 
(by mail) 2 (a) 11 
(by telephone) 2 (a) 11 
Laboratories 2 (c) 12 
Physicians 2 (a) 11 
Veterinarian r 2 (e) 12 
Spiritual healing 11 6 
Warrant for arrest 7 (b) 5 AN ACT 
To authorize the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to 
make regulations to prevent and control the spread of com- 
municable and preventable diseases. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives of the United States of America in Con- 
gress assembled, That the Commissioners of the 
District of Columbia are hereby authorized and 
empowered to promulgate and enforce all such rea- 
sonable rules and regulations as they may deem 
necessary to prevent and control the spread of com- 
municable and preventable diseases in the District of 
Columbia, including the authority and power to pro- 
vide for the isolation, quarantine, and restriction of 
the movements of persons affected by or believed, 
upon probable cause, to be affected by communicable 
disease and of persons who are or are believed, upon 
probable cause, to be carriers of communicable dis- 
ease. 
Sec. 2. The words “communicable disease” when 
hereinafter used shall mean such communicable dis- 
eases as the Commissioners by regulation shall de- 
nominate as such. 
Sec. 3. Whenever the Health Officer has probable 
cause to believe that any person is affected with any 
communicable disease or is a carrier of communicable 
disease and that the continuance of such person in 
the place where he may be is likely to be dangerous 
to the lives or health of other persons, or that by 
reason of the noncooperation or carelessness of such 
person the public health is likely to be endangered, 
the Health Officer may by written order direct the re- 
moval by any designated officer or employee of the 
Health Department or by any member of the Metro- 
politan Police force of such person to and the deten- 
tion of such person in any place or institution in the 
District of Columbia designated by the Health 
Officer, or any institution located without the District 
of Columbia which may be designated by the Health 2 
Officer and which is under the supervision of the 
government of the District of Columbia or any 
agency thereof. Such officer, employee, or member 
so designated in such order shall take such person 
into his custody and shall remove such person to 
such place or institution as may be designated in 
such order. Such officer, employee, or member shall 
immediately make known to such person the con- 
tents of such order, and also shall deliver to such 
person a true copy of such order. 
Sec. 4. A copy of the order provided for in section 
3 hereof shall be delivered to the person in charge 
of such place or institution to which the person taken 
into custody may be removed and shall constitute 
the authority for the detention of such person in such 
place or institution until such order expires or until 
such person is discharged in the manner set forth 
in this section or section 5 of this Act. Such order 
shall expire forty-eight hours (exclusive of Sundays 
and holidays) after such officer, employee, or mem- 
ber shall take into his custody such person as pro- 
vided in section 3, unless it shall be continued in 
force and effect by a judge of the Municipal Court 
for the District of Columbia, or unless such detained 
person shall stipulate in writing that the order be 
continued in force and effect. Such order shall be 
continued in force and effect if it shall appear to 
said judge by affidavit that the probable cause, re- 
quired by section 3, exists. If the judge continue in 
force and effect the order of the Health Officer, the 
judge at that time shall set a date for a hearing 
upon the question of whether the person detained 
is at the time of such hearing affected with any com- 
municable disease or is a carrier of communicable 
disease and, if so affected, upon the further question 
whether his release would be likely to endanger the 
lives or health of any other person. If such person 
be not sooner discharged such hearing shall be had 
within ten days of the date of the order of the 
court continuing in force and effect the order of the 
Health Officer unless such hearing be continued by 
the court, or unless the detained person shall, in writ- 
ing, waive such hearing, which waiver shall be filed 
with the court. Such hearing shall be in or out of 
the presence of the detained person, in the discretion 
of the court. If, after such hearing, the court shall 3 
find that the detained person is not affected with 
any communicable disease and is not a carrier of 
communicable disease, or that the discharge of such 
person, even though affected with, or a carrier of, a 
communicable disease is not likely to endanger the 
lives or health of any other person the court shall 
order such detained person to be discharged, other- 
wise the court shall continue in force and affect the 
order of the Health Officer until such person be dis- 
charged in the manner set forth in section 5 of this 
Act. If a minor is detained pursuant to this section 
or section 7 hereof, or is found guilty and sentence 
is suspended as provided in section 10 hereof, and 
such minor is in need of treatment for the com- 
municable disease with which he is affected or of 
which he is a carrier, the court is empowered to 
authorize the Health Officer to administer such 
treatment or cause the same to be administered. No 
person under eighteen years of age detained under 
sections 3, 4, 5, or 7, shall be detained in a room 
in Which a person over that age is so detained. 
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the Health Officer 
to make or cause to be made by a physician such 
examination or examinations of such person as may 
be necessary to determine the existence or nonex- 
istence of such communicable disease in such person 
or whether such person is a carrier of communicable 
disease. The diagnosis resulting from such examina- 
tion or examinations shall be reduced to writing and 
signed by such examining physician within ten days 
after the removal of such person to such place or 
institution and a copy thereof shall be filed in the 
office bf the person in charge of such place or in- 
stitution and a copy in the office of the Health 
Officer. If such diagnosis does not disclose that such 
'person is affected with such communicable disease or 
that such person is a carrier of communicable dis- 
ease, such person shall be discharged from such place 
or institution forthwith. If the diagnosis does disclose 
that such person is affected with such communicable 
disease or that such person is a carrier of communi- 
cable disease, the person in charge of the place or in- 
stitution to which the infected person has been re- 
moved shall, subject to the provisions of section 4, 
detain such person for such reasonable time as may be 
fixed by regulation under the authority of this Act as is deemed necessary in the interest of public health 
and safety for the isolation, quarantine, and restric- 
tion of movement of persons affected by the particu- 
lar communicable disease or of persons found to be 
carriers of the particular communicable disease, un- 
less sooner discharged by the Health Officer or the 
Municipal Court. A person so detained, however, 
may apply at any time to the person in charge of 
such place or institution for his discharge, and the 
person in charge of such place or institution shall 
deliver the application for discharge to the Health 
Officer, who shall give to such person an opportunity 
to be heard before the Health Officer. If after hear- 
ing held by the Health Officer, the Health Officer 
be of the opinion that such person is not affected 
with such communicable disease and that such per- 
son is not a carrier of communicable disease, then 
such person shall be discharged. If denied his dis- 
charge such detained person may apply to the Mu- 
nicipal Court for the District of Columbia for such 
discharge and the hearing on such application shall 
be in or out of the presence of the detained person, 
in the discretion of the court. Only such persons as 
have a direct interest in the case and their repre- 
sentatives shall be admitted to any hearing held 
pursuant to this section or section 4 of this Act: 
Provided, That if the detained person shall request 
a public hearing then the general public shall be 
admitted thereto. 
4 
Sec. 6. It shall be unlawful for a person detained 
in a place or institution pursuant to an order of the 
Health Officer to leave said place or institution un- 
less discharged in the manner provided in sections 4 
or 5 of this Act. 
Sec. 7. (a) In aid of the powers vested in the 
Health Officer to cause'the removal to and detention 
in a place or institution of a person who is affected 
or is believed, upon probable cause, to be affected 
with any communicable disease or is believed, upon 
probable cause, to be a carrier of communicable dis- 
ease as provided in this Act, the Municipal Court 
for the District of Columbia, or any judge thereof, 
is authorized to issue a warrant for the arrest of 
such person and his removal to a place or institution 
as defined in section 3 of this Act, which warrant 
shall be directed to the Major and Superintendent of Police. When such person has been removed to 
such place or institution under authority of a warrant 
issued pursuant to this section, such person shall not 
be discharged from such place or institution except 
in the manner provided in section 5. 
(b) No such warrant of arrest and removal shall 
be issued except upon probable cause supported by 
affidavit or affidavits particularly describing the per- 
son to be taken, which said affidavit or affidavits 
shall set forth the facts tending to establish the 
grounds of the application or probable cause for be- 
lieving that they exist. 
(c) A warrant may in all cases bo served by the 
Major and Superintendent of Police or by any officer 
or member of the Metropolitan Police, but by no 
other person, except in aid of the officer on his re- 
quiring it, he being present and acting in its execu- 
tion. 
5 
(d) The officer may break open any outer or 
inner door or window of a house, or any part of a 
house, or anything therein, to execute the warrant, 
if, after notice of his authority and purpose, he is 
refused admittance. 
(e) A warrant must be returned to the court with- 
in ten days after its date; after the expiration of 
this time the warrant, unless executed, is void. 
(f) It shall be the duty of the said court to main- 
tain and keep records of all warrants issued and the 
returns thereon. 
Sec. 8. The Health Officer may, without fee or 
hindrance, enter, examine, and inspect all vessels, 
premises, grounds, structures, buildings, and every 
part thereof in the District of Columbia for the 
purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act 
and the regulations issued hereunder. The owner or 
his agent or representative and the lessee or occu- 
pant of any such vessel, premises, grounds, structure, 
or building, or part thereof, and every person having 
the care and management thereof shall at all times 
when required by any such officer or employee give 
them free access thereto and refusal so to do shall be 
punishable as a violation of this Act. 
Sec. 9. It shall be unlawful for any person know- 
ingly to obstruct, resist, oppose, or interfere with 
any person performing any duty or function under 
the authority of this Act or any regulation promul- 
gated thereunder. Sec. 10. Any person who violates any of the pro- 
visions of section 6, 8, or 9 of this Act shall be pun- 
ished by a fine of not more than $300 or by imprison- 
ment for not longer than ninety days, or both such 
fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the 
court. The Commissioners of the District of Colum- 
bia shall have power to prescribe penalties of fine 
not to exceed $300 or imprisonment not to exceed 
ninety days, or both, in the discretion of the court 
for the violation of any regulation promulgated 
under this Act. All prosecutions for violations of 
this Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder 
shall be in the Criminal Division of the Municipal 
Court for the District of Columbia, in the name of 
the District of Columbia upon information filed by 
the corporation counsel of the District of Columbia 
or any of his assistants. The court may impose con- 
ditions upon any person found guilty under the 
aforesaid provisions and so long as such person shall 
comply therewith to the satisfaction of the court the 
imposition or execution of sentence may be sus- 
pended for such period as the court may direct; and 
the court may at or before the expiration of such 
period vacate such sentence or cause it to be ex- 
ecuted. Conditions thus imposed by the court may 
include submission to medical and mental examina- 
tion, diagnosis, and treatment by proper public health 
and welfare authorities or by any licensed physician 
approyed by the court, and such other terms and 
conditions as the court may deem best for the pro- 
tection of the community and the punishment, con- 
trol, and rehabilitation of the defendant. The Health 
Officer of the District of Columbia, the Metropolitan 
Police force, and employees of the Board of Public 
Welfare are authorized arid directed to perform such 
duties as may be directed by the court in effectuat- 
ing compliance with the conditions so imposed upon 
any defendant. 
Sec. 11. With respect to all persons who, either 
on behalf of themselves or their minor children or 
wards, rely in good faith upon spiritual means or 
prayer in the free exercise of religion to prevent or 
cure disease, nothing in this Act shall have the effect 
of requiring or giving any health officer or other 
person the right to compel any such person, minor 
child or ward, to go to or be confined in a hospital 
or other medical institution unless no other place for 
6 7 
quarantine of such person, minor child or ward can 
be secured, nor to compel any such person, child or 
ward to submit to any medical treatment. 
Sec. 12. Wherever the term “Health Officer” is 
used in this Act it shall mean the Health Officer of 
the District of Columbia and his duly authorized 
agents. 
Sec. 13. Each and every provision of this Act shall 
be construed liberally in aid of the powers vested in 
the public authorities looking to the protection of 
'the public health, comfort, and welfare and not by 
way of limitation. 
Sec. 14 (13). This Act shall take effect from and 
after ninety days after its passage and approval, and 
from and after the expiration of said period the fol- 
lowing Acts are hereby repealed: 
An Act entitled “An Act to prevent the spread of 
contagious diseases in the District of Columbia,” 
approved March 3, 1897 (29 Stat. 635); 
An Act entitled “An Act for the prevention of 
scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, 
chicken pox, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, and 
typhoid fever in the District of Columbia,” approved 
February' 1, 1907 (34 Stat. 889); 
An Act entitled “An Act to provide for registration 
of all cases of tuberculosis in the District of Colum- 
bia, for free examination of sputum in suspected 
cases, and for preventing the spread of tuberculosis 
in said District,” approved May 13, 1908 (35 Stat. 
126); and 
An Act entitled “An Act for the prevention of 
venereal diseases in the District of Columbia, and 
for other purposes,” approved February 26, 1925 
(43 Stat. 1001). 
[Act approved August 11, 1939 (53 Stat. 1408) as 
amended by an act approved August 8, 1945 (Public 
664, 79th Congress, Chapter 871 - 2nd Session). 
[The Act approved August 8, 1946, amended the 
Act approved August 11, 1939, by adding at the end 
of Sec. 1 the words beginning with “including the 
authority”; by striking out Sec. 2 of said Act and 
inserting Sections 2 through 13; and by erroneously 
renumbering Sec. 3 of the Act approved August 11, 
1939, as Sec. 13. This latter section is shown herein 
as Sec. 14 (13). ] GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF 
COLUMBIA 
EXECUTIVE OFFICE 
8 
Ordered: 
Washington 
That pursuant to the authority contained in “An 
Act to authorize the Commissioners of the District 
of Columbia to make Regulations to prevent and 
control the spread of communicable and preventable 
diseases,” approved August 11, 1939, and amended 
August 8. 1946, the following regulations are hereby 
made and adopted. 
REGULATIONS TO PREVENT AND CON- 
TROL THE SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE 
AND PREVENTABLE DISEASES 
Section 1. Definitions.—The following definitions 
shall apply to certain words and terms in these regu- 
lations : 
(a) Health Officer. — The term “Health Officer” 
means the Health Officer of the District of Columbia 
and his duly authorized agents. 
(b) Communicable Disease.—A communicable dis- 
ease for the purpose of these regulations means: 
Amebiasis (amebic dysentery) 
Ancylostomiasis (hookworm) 
Anthrax 
Botulism 
Chancroid 
Chickenpox (varicella) 
Cholera (Asiatic) 
Conjunctivitis (ophthalmia neonatorum) 
Conjunctivitis (suppurative, pink eye) 
Diarrhea (epidemic of children and adults) 
Diarrhea (epidemic of the newborn) 
Diphtheria 
Diphtheria carrier 
Dysentery (amebiasis or amebic) 
Dysentery (bacillary) 
Encephalitis (infectious) 
Erysipelas Food infection (salmonellosis) 
Food poisoning (staphylococcus intoxication) 
German measles (rubella or rotheln) 
Glanders 
Gonorrhea 
Granuloma inguinale 
Hemorrhagic jaundice (Weil’s disease) 
Impetigo contagiosa 
Influenza 
Kerato-conjunctivitis 
Leprosy 
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis 
Lymphogranuloma venereum 
Malaria 
Measles (rubeola) 
Meningitis (meningococcus, meningococcemia) 
Mumps (epidemic parotitis) 
Paratyphoid fever 
Plague (bubonic and pneumonic) 
Pneumonia (including virus pneumonia) 
Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) 
Psittacosis (parrot fever) 
Rabies in animals 
Rabies in man 
Rheumatic fever (acute) 
Rocky Mountain spotted fever 
Scarlet fever (scarlatina) 
Smallpox (variola) 
Staphylococcal infections 
Streptococcal infections (septic sore throat, ery- 
sipelas and puerperal sepsis) 
Syphilis 
Tetanus 
Trachoma 
Trichinosis 
Tuberculosis 
Tularemia 
Typhoid carrier 
Typhoid fever 
Typhus fever (louse-borne) 
Typhus fever (murine) 
Undulant fever (Malta fever) 
Whooping cough (pertussis) 
Yellow fever 
9 
(c) Comviunicahle Disease Carrier.—A communi- 
cable disease carrier means a person who harbors in 10 
his body the infectious agent of a communicable 
disease, but who, at the time, is apparently in good 
health. For the purpose of these regulations, com- 
municable disease carrier means; 
Typhoid carrier 
Paratyphoid carrier 
Diphtheria carrier 
Amebic dysentery carrier 
Gonorrhea carrier 
Meningococcus carrier 
Syphilis carrier 
(d) Infectious Agent.—Infectious agent means a 
living micro-organism or virus capable, under fav- 
orable conditions, of causing a communicable dis- 
ease. Infectious agent also means “germ,” “organ- 
ism,” “micro-organism,” and “virus.” 
(e) Contact.—A contact means a person or animal 
that has been sufficiently near a person suffering from 
a communicable disease, a communicable disease 
carrier, or an animal or object harboring the infec- 
tious agent to make possible the direct or indirect 
transmission of the infectious agent to him. 
(f) Susceptible.—A susceptible is a person or ani- 
mal who is pot known to have become immune to 
the particular disease in question by natural or ar- 
tificial process. 
(g) Restriction of Movement.—Restriction of 
movement means the limitation of an individual in 
his or her association with persons not known to be 
immune to the communicable disease in question. 
(h) Isolation.—Isolation means the limitation of 
freedom to a specified room or rooms of a person who 
is suffering from, or suspected of suffering from, a 
communicable disease, or who is a communicable 
disease carrier, and the exclusion of all persons ex- 
cept attendants from association with such a person. 
(i) Quarantine.—Quarantine means the limitation 
of freedom to a specified room, building, or area of 
any person or animal exposed to a commmunicable 
disease for a period of time equal to the longest 
usual incubation period of the disease to which they 
have been exposed, or until found free from infection 
by laboratory methods, and the exclusion of suscept- 
ibles from association with such person or animal. 11 
(j) Placard.—A placard is an official notice, written 
or printed, and posted by the Health Officer as a 
warning of the presence of a communicable disease 
on the premises. 
(k) Disinfection.—Disinfection is the process of 
destroying the vitality of disease-producing organisms 
or virus by physical or chemical means. 
(1) Renovation.—By renovation is meant, in addi- 
tion to cleansing, such repapering, painting, white- 
washing, or other alteration of such part of a human 
habitation as the Health Officer may deem to be 
necessary to place the same in a satisfactory and 
sanitary condition. 
(m) Cleansing.—Cleansing signifies the removal of 
infectious material by scrubbing, washing, and ex- 
posure to sunlight and air. 
(n) Food Handler.—The term food handler means 
any person engaged in the preparation, manufacture, 
storage, sale, exchange or delivery of food, drink, con- 
fectionary or condiment for man, or who comes in 
contact with any eating, drinking or cooking dishes 
or utensils employed in the service of such cojnmodi- 
ties to others. 
Section 2. Reporting of Communicable Diseases 
and Communicable Disease Carriers. 
(a) It shall be the duty of persons in charge of 
hospitals, institutions, dispensaries, and public and 
private bacteriological, pathological and x-ray labo- 
ratories, and of physicians, parents, guardians, and 
other persons in charge of, or making examination in 
connection with persons affected with or suspected 
of having a communicable disease or being a com- 
municable disease carrier to report within 24 hours 
the existence of such communicable disease, or sus- 
pected communicable disease, or communicable dis- 
ease carrier to the Health Officer. Such report shall 
be in writing and shall contain the full name, ad- 
dress, age, sex, race, and place of work or school of 
the person affected in addition to the name of the 
communicable disease, suspected disease, or com- 
municable disease carrier, and the name and address 
of the physician who referred the patient or trans- 
mitted the specimen for examination, except in the 
case of chancroid, gonococcal infections, and syphilis, 
the name of the person affected may be referred to by number. Whenever a physician elects to report by 
number instead of by name, he shall be required to 
keep a record of the case in question in his files 
under a corresponding number. 
12 
It shall be the duty of physicians or other persons 
in charge of persons affected with or suspected of 
the following communicable disease to report by 
telephone forthwith the existence of such disease in 
addition to a report in writing: 
Anthrax 
Cholera (Asiatic) 
Diphtheria 
Epidemic Diarrhea of the newborn 
Food poisoning or infection 
Leprosy 
Plague, bubonic and pneumonic 
Poliomyelitis 
P&littacosis 
Rabies 
Scarlet fever 
Smallpox 
Typhoid fever 
Typhus fever (louse-Lorne) 
Yellow fever 
Cb) In cases of death from cholera (Asiatic) diph- 
theria, plague (bubonic or pneumonic), scarlet fever, 
or smallpox (variola), or typhus fever (louse-bome) 
it shall be the duty of the physician issuing the cer- 
tificate of death to give immediate notice of such 
death to the Health Officer. 
(c) All public and private laboratories shall keep 
a record of findings showing evidence of communi- 
cable diseases which shall be available for inspection 
at any reasonable time by the Health Officer. 
(d) Duty of Every Person to Report.—When no 
physician is in attendance, it shall be the duty of 
every person having knowledge of any person afflicted 
with any disease apparently or presumably communi- 
cable, to report at once to the Health Department 
all facts in relationship to the illness of any such 
person. 
(e) It shall be the duty of every veterinarian or 
other person who discovers any dog or other animal 
to be suffering with rabies to report such fact im- 
mediately to the Health Officer. Such report shall 13 
give the name, if known, and the place of residence 
of the person owning or harboring such dog or other 
animal, the place where the dog or other animal can 
be found, and the license number, if any there be. 
Any report made to the Police Department shall be 
forthwith communicated to the Health Officer by 
such Department. Like report shall be made by an>r 
doctor or other person who has knowledge of a per- 
son being bitten by a dog or other animal, which 
report shall include also the name, address, age, sex, 
and race of the person bitten. 
Section 3. Duties of Physicians in Attendance of 
Persons Affected with Communicable Disease.—It 
shall be the duty of every physician, immediately 
upon discovery of a person having or suspected of 
having a communicable disease, or of being a com- 
municable disease carrier to establish isolation of 
such person, to report the case to the Department of 
Health, to acquaint the parent or other attendant in 
charge of such person with the rules regarding limi- 
tation of movement, isolation, or quarantine, as pro- 
vided for in Section 6. 
It shall be the duty of any physician or hospital 
treating or caring for a person with a communicable 
disease to report forthwith the name, address and 
other relevant information to the Health Officer 
when such persons are delinquent in treatment, when 
they violate isolation or quarantine, or when there is 
any change of address. 
Section 4. Investigation of Communicable Disease 
and Communicable Disease Carriers and Other 
Sources of Infection by the Health Officer, and 
Isolation or Restriction of Movement of Such Cases 
and Carriers, and Eradication of Sources of Infec- 
tion.— 
(a) Upon receiving a report of the existence of 
a case, or suspected case of a communicable disease, 
or of a communicable disease contact or carrier or of 
a suspected communicable disease contact or carrier, 
the Health Officer shall make such investigation as 
he may deem necessary for the purpose of determin- 
ing the source of infection and for the restriction of 
movement, isolation, or quarantine of such case or 
contact or carrier, and to this end may enter upon 
and inspect any public or private property in the 14 
District of Columbia. The Health Officer shall at his 
discretion make such investigations of sources of in- 
fections and upon probable cause to believe that 
vectors of disease or sources of infection have been 
identified, the Health Officer shall institute such 
preventive measures as he may deem necessary to 
eradicate vectors of communicable disease and in- 
fectious sources forthwith. Any person having or 
suspected of having a communicable disease, any 
person who is a communicable disease carrier, or 
contact, or any person who is suspected of being a 
communicable disease carrier or contact shall, when 
directed by the Health Officer, submit to an exami- 
nation for the purpose of determining the existence 
of a communicable disease. Such persons shall sub- 
mit specimens of body secretions, excretions, body 
fluids, and discharges for laboratory examinations 
when so directed by the Health Officer. 
(b) Upon receiving a report of the existence of 
diphtheria and scarlet fever, a placard that will, in 
conspicuous type, name the disease for which re- 
striction of movement or isolation is established, 
shall be posted at the main entrance in the case of 
private homes, and at the entrance of the apartment, 
in the case of apartments or multiple dwellings, and 
persons are prohibited from entering or leaving prem- 
ises so placarded unless specifically authorized to do 
so by the Health Officer. At the discretion of the 
Health Officer, a placard may be posted on the prem- 
ises occupied by persons affected with other com- 
municable diseases. *No placard so posted by the 
Health Officer shall be mutilated, defaced, obliter- 
ated, concealed, or removed, except by authoriza- 
tion of the Health Officer. 
Section 5. Requirements for the Isolation or Re- 
striction of Movement of Persons Affected with 
Certain Communicable Diseases, Communicable Dis- 
ease Carriers, and Contacts of Such Cases and Car- 
riers.— 
(a) Any person affected with diphtheria, menin- 
gococcus meningitis, poliomyelitis, scarlet fever, tu- 
berculosis, or typhoid fever must have a room or 
rooms for his or her exclusive use, except for au- 
thorized attendants when giving nursing or medical 
care, and all infectious body secretions, excretions, 
and discharges, all eating and drinking utensils, and 15 
all infectious bed linen, personal linen, and garments 
used by such person shall be disinfected. 
(b) Whenever the Health Officer has probable 
cause to believe that any person is affected with or 
is a carrier of diphtheria, bacillary dysentery, men- 
ingococcus meningitis, poliomyelitis, scarlet fever, 
smallpox, streptococcus sore throat, tuberculosis, 
typhoid fever, syphilis, chancroid, granuloma ingui- 
nale, lymphogranuloma venereum, gonorrhea, or any 
other communicable disease, and that such person is 
likely to be dangerous to the lives or health of any 
other persons because of improper facilities or the 
lack of facilities for isolation, or that by reason of 
his or her non-cooperation or carelessness including 
but not restricted to his or her refusal to submit to 
examination or refusal to be properly treated or 
cared for, is likely to be a danger to public health, he 
(the Health Officer) shall issue an order to the 
Major and Superintendent of Police, or to any desig- 
nated officer or employee of the Health Department, 
for the removal of such person to a hospital or other 
place designated by the Health Officer, and the 
Health Officer shall forthwith make an examination 
of such person and prepare and sign a written re- 
port of the medical findings, and file a copy of the 
same in the office of the superintendent of such hos- 
pital or other place and a copy in the office of the 
Health Officer. Such further proceedings shall be had 
as may be required by Sections 4 and 5 of the Com- 
municable Disease Act of August 11,1939, as amended 
August 8, 1946. 
Section 6. Specific Rules Governing the Restric- 
tion of Movement, Isolation, Quarantine, and Re- 
lease from Restriction of Movement, Isolation or 
Quarantine of Persons Affected with Communicable 
Diseases, Communicable Disease Carriers, and Con- 
tact of Such Cases or Carriers.—Any person affected 
with a communicable disease or who is a communi- 
cable disease carrier or contact, shall comply with the 
requirements set forth opposite the name of the 
communicable disease with which such person is 
affected or of which he is a carrier or with which he 
was in contact. 
Amebiasis (Amebic Dysentery). — See Dysentery 
(Amebiasis or Amebic). 16 
Ancylostomiasis (Hookworm).—No restriction of 
movement. 
Anthrax.—Isolation of the infected person until the 
lesions have healed. Concurrent disinfection of the 
discharges from lesions and articles soiled therewith 
by steam under pressure or by burning. 
Botulism.—No restriction of movement. 
Chancroid.—Same procedure as set forth under 
syphilis. 
Chickenpox (Varicella).—Restriction of movement 
of the persons affected to the house for 10 days and 
until all scabs are removed. No restrictions of con- 
tacts. 
Cholera (Asiatic).—Isolation of patient in a hos- 
pital. Quarantine of contacts until found free from 
infection. 
Conjunctivitis (Ophthalmia Neonatorum). — Re- 
striction of movement to the premises. 
Conjunctivitis (Suppurative, Pink Eye).—Restric- 
tion of movement to the premises. 
Diarrhea (Epidemic oj Children and Adults).— 
Isolation of the patient, exclusion as food handlers 
and in the care of children until recovery. 
Diarrhea* (Epidemic oj the Newborn).—Immedi- 
ate removal of sick babies to an isolation room. Sick 
isolated babies shall be cared for by separate medical 
and nursing personnel. The nursery shall be closed 
to new admissions and the maternity service shall be 
renewed only on approval of the Health Officer. 
* The following procedure in formula labora- 
tories in hospital nurseries is recommended. It 
may be designated “The Chilled Method of Prepar- 
ing Formula”: 
(1) Autoclave all equipment. 
(2) Autoclave formula stock water, cool to room 
temperature and chill overnight in refrigerator. 
(3) Record temperature of refrigerator at 9 a. m. 
and 1 p. m. Temperature should be set for 40° C. 
and at no time go above 50° C. 
(4) It is desirable that the formula laboratory 
should not be required to make more than three 
different formulae. 
(5) Practice good bacteriological laboratory tech- 
nique in making formulae and culture 24-hour 17 
formula to determine effectiveness of aseptic pro- 
cedures and refrigeration. 
(6) The average count of 24-hour formula should 
not be more than 500 bacteria per c.c. and no single 
count should be more than of 10,000. Good pro- 
cedure gives counts of less than 5. Counts over 
100,000 is a danger signal indicating errors in 
aseptic or mechanical procedures and result in oc- 
casional loose stools. Counts of 1,000,000 or over 
point to a possible outbreak of infant diarrhea. 
Another more recent procedure for the prepara- 
tion of safe formulae for infants is that of auto- 
claving the bottles and their formula contents by 
the high pressure—low temperature method. 
Diphtheria1.—Isolation of the patient until two 
successive negative diphtheria cultures from his nose 
and throat have been obtained, taken not less than 
24 hours apart. The last of these cultures shall be 
taken by the Health Officer. If a culture taken 
after the patient has been in isolation for 21 days is 
found positive, it shall be tested for virulence and if 
found avirulent the patient shall be released. 
Restriction of contacts.—In cases where the patient 
is isolated at home and the contacts remain on the 
premises, the contacts shall be cultured at the time 
of placarding the premises and if found negative, 
the contacts shall not be quarantined but shall be ex- 
cluded from school and from employment as food 
handlers. When a patient, isolated at home, is re- 
leased therefrom, a culture shall be made by the 
Health Officer of each contact and if found negative 
such contact shall be certified for school or work. If 
the patient is removed to a hospital or contacts of 
a patient move from the premises, the Health Officer 
shall make cultures of each contact and when such 
cultures prove to be negative, the contact from whom 
such negative culture was taken shall be certified for 
school or for work. 
Whenever culture of contacts prove to be positive, 
the contact from whom such positive culture was 
obtained shall be subject to the same requirements as 
the patient. 
All cultures shall be taken from both nose and 
throat. 
1 See also Section 5. 18 
Diphtheria CarrierL—Same as for diphtheria, ex- 
cept that virulence test may be applied immediately. 
Dysentery (Amebiasis or Amebic).—Disinfection of 
bowel discharges and exclusion from employment as 
a food handler. 
Dysentery (Bacillary).—Isolation of the infected 
person during the period of communicability or until 
recovery. 
Encephalitis (Infectious).—Isolation of the person 
affected during the acute stage of the disease, or un- 
til subsidence of active symptoms. 
Erysipelas.—See Streptococcus Infections. 
Food Infection (Salmonellosis).—Exclusion of pa- 
tients or carriers from food handling and occupations 
involving the care of children until clinical recovery. 
Food Poisoning (Staphylococcal Intoxication). — 
No restriction of movement. 
German Measles (Rubella or Rotheln).—Restriction 
of movement during acute stage of the disease and 
until 7 days following onset of symptoms. 
Glanders.—Isolation of the person infected during 
the acute stage of the disease. 
Gonorrhea.—Restriction of movement, or when 
ordered by the Health Officer, isolation, quarantine, 
placarding, or removal to a hospital, the same to con- 
tinue until, in the opinion of the Health Officer, 
clinical and bacteriologic cure has been obtained as 
judged by the complete absence of signs and symp- 
toms of the disease including negative laboratory 
findings. 
Granuloma Inguinale.—Same procedure as set forth 
under syphilis. 
Hemorrhage Juandice (Weil’s Disease).—No re- 
striction of movement. 
Impetigo Contagiosa.—Exclusion from school and 
from other children. 
Influenza.—Isolation of the person affected during 
the acute stage of the disease. 
Kerato-conjunclivilis. — Limited restriction of 
movement. Disinfection of conjunctival and nasal 
discharges and articles soiled therewith. 
1 See also Section 5. 19 
Leprosy. — Isolation of bacteriologically positive 
case until removal to a leprosarium. 
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis.—No restriction of 
movement. 
Lymphogranuloma Venereum.—Same procedure as 
set forth under syphilis. 
Malaria.—Persons with malarial parasites in their 
blood shall be protected from bites of mosquitoes. 
Measles (Rubeola).—Isolation of the patient and 
exclusion from school for 7 days from date of onset. 
Exclusion of non-immune contacts from school for 
14 days from the onset of the first case in the home. 
Immune contacts may live at home and attend 
school provided the parent certifies in writing to the 
school principal that the contact has previously had 
a well defined attack of measles. No restrictions on 
adult household contacts, provided they are not in 
attendance on the ill patient. 
Meningitis1 (Meningococcus, Meningococcemia).— 
Isolation of the patient until 14 days after the onset 
of the disease or until negative swabs are obtained 
from the nasopharynx. No quarantine or exclusion 
of contacts. 
Mumps (Epidemic Parotitis).—Isolation of the pa- 
tient for 7 days and until the swelling has subsided. 
Paratyphoid Fever1.—Same as for typhoid fever. 
Plague1 (Bubonic and Pneumonic).—Isolation of 
the patient in a hospital. Quarantine of contacts for 
6 days. 
Pneumonia (Including Vims Pneumonia).—Isola- 
tion of the patient during the acute stage of the dis- 
ease. 
Poliomyelitis1 (Infantile Paralysis).—Isolation of 
the patient for 14 days following the onset. No 
quarantine or exclusion from school of contacts. 
Psittacosis (Parrot Fever).—Isolation of the pa- 
tient during the febrile period of the disease. All 
buildings which housed birds may not be reoccupied 
until thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. 
Rabies in Animals.—Whenever the Health Officer 
has reason to believe that any dog or other animal 
has been exposed to a dog or other animal which 
1 See also Section 5. 20 
was diagnosed as having rabies at the time of death, 
the Health Officer shall give notice to the owner or 
possessor of the exposed dog or other animal, and 
the owner or possessor thereof shall quarantine the 
said dog or other animal on the premises or on the 
leash of the owner or possessor thereof, or, if deemed 
necessary by the Health Officer, at a place designated 
by him for a period of sixty days following the dis- 
covery that the dog or other animal was exposed 
to a rabid dog or other animal, and the quarantined 
dog shall be available for observation by the Health 
Officer or his agent for symptoms of rabies. The 
Said dog or other animal shall not be released or 
disposed of during the sixty-day quarantine period 
and if death should intervene during this period, the 
body shall be disposed of through the Health Officer 
for rabies examination. 
Any dog or other animal which has .bitten a person 
shall be confined on the premises of the owner or pos- 
sessor thereof, or, if deemed necessary by the Health 
Officer, at a place designated by him. for a period of 
not less than 10 days following said discovery that 
said dog or other animal has bitten any person, and 
the animal shall be available to the Health Officer 
or his agent, who shall make the necessary examina- 
tions to determine the presence or absence of symp- 
toms of rabies. The said dog or other animal shall 
not be released nor disposed of during the 10-day 
period of observation, and if death should intervene 
during this period, the body shall be disposed of 
through the Health Officer for rabies examination. 
Rabies in Man.—Concurrent disinfection of the 
saliva from the person affected.' 
Rheumatic Fever (Acute).— No restriction of 
movement. 
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.—No restriction of 
movement. 
Scarlet Fever1 (Scarlatina).—Isolation of patients, 
if uncomplicated, for 14 days from onset or until all 
discharges have ceased. Non-immune contacts and 
the patients are certified for school by the Health 
Officer when the patient is released. Non-immune 
contacts may return to school 7 days after removal 
from the placarded premises,, if certified by the 
1 See also Section 5. 21 
Health Officer. Immune contacts may live at home 
and attend school provided the parent certifies in 
writing to the Health Officer that the contact has 
previously had an illness diagnosed as scarlet fever 
by a licensed physician. No restrictions on adult 
household contacts, provided they are not in attend- 
ance on the patient. 
Smallpox (Variola).—Hospital isolation for three 
weeks or until the period of infectivity is past. 
Quarantine of all contacts until vaccinated with a 
potent vaccine and daily medical inspection of these 
contacts until the height of the reaction has passed, 
if vaccination was performed within 24 hours of the 
first exposure; otherwise 16 days. 
Staphylococcal Infections.—No restriction of move- 
ment. 
Streptococcal Infections (Septic Sore Throat; Ery- 
sipelas and Puerperal Sepsis).—Isolation until free of 
symptoms. 
Syphilis.—Restriction of movement, or when or- 
dered by the Health Officer, isolation, placarding, or 
removal to a hospital, the same to continue until, in 
the opinion of the Health Officer, such person has 
received sufficient treatment, as judged by recog- 
nized standards, to render him or her non-infectious. 
Tetanus.—No restriction of movement. 
Trachoma.—Exclusion of the patient from school. 
Trichinosis.—No restriction of movement. 
Tuberculosis*.—Restriction of movement or when 
ordered by the Health Officer, isolation, placarding 
or removal to a hospital, the same to continue until, 
in the opinion of the Health Officer, the tuberculous 
process is no longer active as judged by recognized 
diagnostic procedures, which shall include history, 
physical examination, x-ray, and accepted laboratory 
procedures. 
Tularemia.—No restriction of movement. 
Typhoid Carrier *.—Restriction of movement. It 
shall be the duty of every typhoid carrier to comply 
with the following requirements; 
(a) Authentic stool or urine specimens shall be 
submitted as often as may be required by the 
Health Officer. Such typhoid carrier shall report 
1 See also Section 5. 22 
in person or in writing, monthly, to the Depart- 
ment of Health, giving his home address, occupa- 
tion, and place of employment, if any. 
(b) Such typhoid carrier shall not handle food, 
drink, dishes, or utensils that are to be used by 
others, nor engage in the work of nursing the sick 
or caring for children. 
(c) Such typhoid carrier shall notify the De- 
partment of Health promptly of any change of 
address or place of employment, whether tem- 
porary or permanent. 
(d) All stools shall be disinfected immediately 
with chloride of lime, creosol, or other disinfectant 
approved by the Health Officer, except when stools 
are passed into water flushed and sewer-connected 
toilets. 
Typhoid Fever1.—Isolation of person affected un- 
til two successive cultures of the stool and urine 
specimens, collected not less than 5 days apart, shall 
prove to be negative to the infectious agent. Such 
specimens shall be obtained when the temperature 
of the person affected has been normal for one week. 
Contacts who are food handlers shall be prohibited 
from work until two negative specimens of stool and 
urine, taken not less than 24 hours apart, have been 
obtained after all contact with the person affected 
has broken. 
Typhus Fever (Louse Borne).—Isolation until de- 
loused and no longer infectious. In the presence of 
lice, exposed susceptibles shall be deloused and quar- 
antined for 5 days after the last exposure. 
Typhus Fever (Murine).—No restriction of move- 
ment. 
Undulant Fever (Malta Fever).—No restriction of 
movement. 
Whooping Cough (Pertussis).—Separation of the 
patient from susceptible children, exclusion from 
school until three weeks after onset of typical par- 
oxysms, and exclusion from public places and streets 
unless accompanied by an adult to prevent contact 
with other children. 
1 See also Section 5. 23 
Yellow Fever.—Isolation of the patient and posi- 
tive protection from mosquitoes during the period of 
illness. 
Section 7. Food Handlers.—Food handlers must be 
free of communicable diseases in a communicable 
stage. 
Section 8. General Rules jor Release of Persons 
Affected by Communicable Disease and Terminal 
Cleansing of Premises Occupied by Such Persons.— 
Upon release from isolation or removal to a hospital, 
the room or rooms occupied by the person affected 
with diphtheria, meningococcus meningitis, poliomye- 
litis, scarlet fever, smallpox, tuberculosis, or typhoid 
fever, shall be given a cleansing in a manner pre- 
scribed by the Health Officer. No such room or 
rooms shall be occupied by any other person until 
disinfected, cleansed or renovated in a manner ap- 
proved by the Health Officer. 
Section 9. Movement of Persons Affected with 
Communicable Disease. — No person affected with 
chicken pox, cholera, diphtheria, measles mumps, 
meningococcus meningitis, poliomyelitis, scarlet 
fever, smallpox, or whooping cough shall ride or be 
transported in a common carrier or public convey- 
ance such as railway trains, streetcars, buses, or taxi- 
cabs. Transportation may be made by the Health 
Department ambulance. 
Section 10. Confidential Record.—The reports of 
persons suffering from tuberculosis or the venereal 
diseases required by these regulations shall be used 
for statistical and public health purposes only and 
the Health Officer shall not disclose the identity of 
the persons so reported except under order of court. 
Section 11. Bacteriological and Serological Labo- 
ratories.—Communicable disease specimens shall be 
submitted to the Health Department laboratory for 
diagnosis only by physicians licensed to practice 
medicine in the District of Columbia, and the labo- 
ratory findings shall be reported direct to the phy- 
sician who submitted the specimen. 24 
Section 12. Burial of Bodies of Persons Affected 
with Certain Communicable Diseases. 
(a) It shall be the duty of every undertaker or 
funeral director to give immediate notice to the 
Health Officer when he is engaged to perform services 
in connection with the preparation or burial of the 
body of a person who died from the following 
diseases: 
Cholera (Asiatic) 
Diphtheria 
Plague (bubonic and pneumonic) 
Scarlet Fever 
Smallpox (variola) 
Typhus Fever (louse-borne) 
No undertaker shall expose, or assist in the ex- 
posure of the dead body of any such person, and 
shall immediately place the body in a coffin or 
casket and permanently close the same. A casket 
with a glass plate is permissible. Bodies of persons 
dead from the above diseases shall be removed direct 
from place of death to the place of burial. Provided, 
however, when the public health will be benefited 
thereby, a removal permit may be issued for trans- 
portation of such body to a place designated by the 
Health Officer. 
(b) It shall be unlawful for the undertaker to per- 
mit or for any person to attend the funeral of one 
who has died of any of the above diseases, other than 
the adult members of the immediate family or house- 
hold and those whose presence is necessary to the 
conduct of the funeral, when the services are held on 
the premises. 
(c) The funeral services for the burial of a person 
who has died of any one of the above-listed diseases 
shall be private, provided, however, that public serv- 
ices may be held in the cemetery at the place of 
burial. 
• (d) The body of any person dead from any of the 
diseases listed in paragraph (a) of this section shall 
be disposed of by burial, cremation, or by the trans- 
portation beyond the limits of the District of Co- 
lumbia for burial or cremation not later than the 
second day following the day of death. 25 
Section 13.Penalty. — Any person who violates 
any of the provisions of these regulations shall, on 
conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not ex- 
ceeding $300 or by imprisonment for not exceeding 
ninety days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, 
in the discretion of the court. 
Approved April 30, 1947: 
John Russell Young, 
Gut Mason, 
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young, 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia. 
Attest: 
G. M. Thornett, 
Secretary, Board of Commissioners. 26 
ADMISSION TO ISOLATION HOSPITAL 
Pay and Free Patients 
During the usual office hours—8:15 a. m. to 4:45 
p.m.—make application through the Bureau of Com- 
municable Diseases of the Health Department. Phone 
NAtional 6000, branch 2129, and during all other 
hours and on Saturday, Sunday and holidays apply 
directly to the Admission Office, Gallinger Hospital. 
Phone NAtional 6000, branch 8114. 
AMBULANCE SERVICE 
When arrangements have been completed for the 
removal of a contagious case to the hospital, the 
Health Department will issue the necessary order to 
its Ambulance Service for the transfer. Communi- 
cable disease patients shall be moved in the Health 
Department ambulance. 
HEALTH DEPARTMENT LABORATORY 
FACILITIES 
Outfits for diphtheria, gonorrhea, syphilis, tubercu- 
losis, and pneumonia may be obtained at the Health 
Department culture tube stations. 
Special containers for stool, urine, and blood, cul- 
tures for typhoid, blood culture tuWfes for pneumonia, 
and food and water containers, may be obtained at 
the Health Department Laboratory. LIST OF CULTURE TUBE STATIONS 
27 
NAME 
ADDRESS 
Northwest 
Health Department Municipal Center Building, 
Rooms 6128, 1025 
Brightwood Pharmacy 5916 Georgia Avenue 
Corwin, H. L. 1701 Eve Street 
Gilman, Z. D. 627 Pennsylvania Avenue 
Higger’s Drugs 5015 Connecticut Avenue 
Hdton 1033 22nd Street 
Millender Prescription 
Pharmacy 1409 S Street 
People’s Drug Store 18th St. and Columbia Rd. 
People’s Drug Store 3220 14th Street 
Petworth Pharmacy 4201 Georgia Avenue 
Pinkett, R. D. 1300 New Jersey Avenue 
Service Pharmacy 1100 14th Street 
Service Pharmacy 826 17th Street 
Tipton & Myers 1400 14th Street 
Northeast 
Bradley’s Pharmacy 701 Maryland Avenue 
Northeast Prescription 
Drug Store 4248 Benning Road 
Southwest 
Judd’s Pharmacy 
7th and F Streets 
Fairfax Village Pharmacy 3827 Pennsylvania Avenue 
Fealey, M. S. 11th St. and Penn. Avenue 
Good Hope Pharmacy 1400 Good Hope Road 
Southeast 
FORM l-HDCO