In January 2016, the World Health Organization warned that Zika virus is 
"spreading explosively" in the Americas and that up to 4 million infections 
could be present worldwide within a year. Soon thereafter, some politicians and 
authors publicly advocated for quarantine of travelers returning from regions 
where mosquitoes carrying Zika virus are prevalent. The public health tool of 
quarantine can be used to prevent the spread of infection by restricting the 
movement of persons who have been exposed to a deadly disease that can be 
transmitted from person to person before symptom onset. With 80% of Zika virus 
infections being asymptomatic, no rapid test being available to detect the 
virus, and primary transmission being via the bites of certain mosquitoes, 
application of quarantine in this setting is not scientifically sound or 
practically feasible. Rather, public health interventions should focus on 
preventing bites from infected mosquitoes, counseling pregnant women on the 
risks of fetal microcephaly and other birth defects, and identifying patients 
with signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome. As was seen in the Ebola 
virus disease outbreak of 2014, non-evidence-based factors can influence policy 
decisions. Public health experts must ensure that policy makers are informed 
that quarantine is not a scientifically sound approach for the control of Zika 
virus. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;0:1-3).