Which public health measure was put in place at the end of the Middle Ages for the purpose of mitigating the spread of disease?

The measure that was put in place at the end of the Middle Ages to mitigate the spread of disease was the creation of quarantine procedures. During this period, societies began to recognize the importance of isolating individuals who were suspected of having contagious diseases, particularly during outbreaks like the bubonic plague. Quarantine allowed for the separation of infected individuals from the healthy population, which was a significant advancement in controlling the spread of communicable diseases.

Quarantine practices laid the foundation for modern public health strategies, emphasizing the importance of preventing disease transmission through isolation. These procedures were one of the first systematic approaches to managing infectious diseases, highlighting a shift towards understanding and mitigating public health crises based on observation and empirical evidence from previous outbreaks. In contrast, the regulation of food at public markets and the implementation of sanitation systems came into prominence later and focused on broader health and hygiene practices. The development of vaccines emerged even later, reflecting advancements in medical science that were not available until many years after the Middle Ages.