What measure was triggered by an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1900?

• A. Quarantine laws between countries to prevent arrival and transmission nationally
• B. Mass vaccination programs
• C. Antenatal care reforms
• D. Public health campaigns focusing on smoking cessation

Answer: (A)

Quarantine measures at borders became a primary response when bubonic plague outbreaks occurred, because the disease could be carried by ships, travelers, and cargo from one country to another. By imposing quarantine laws that restricted entry and required isolation or inspection of potentially infected individuals and goods, authorities aimed to prevent arrival and national transmission of the disease. This international approach to containing plague reflects how early public health focused on border controls to stop cross-border spread.

Vaccination programs were not the standard nationwide response to plague outbreaks at that time, and antenatal care reforms or smoking cessation campaigns address different health priorities that aren’t tied to stopping an infectious disease from crossing borders.