Epidemic Prevention Act (No. 19 of 1997).

This Act lays down rules on general infection control. It consists of 5 Chapters divided into 20 articles: Definitions (I); Disease control (II); . General disease control measures (III); . Official disease control measures (IV); Various provisions (V).
Infection control measures shall be applied when: 1. There is a epidemics reaching outside from Iceland; 2. when there is a risk of spreading epidemics within the country; and 3. When an infected person creates a risk of spreading the infection. The law also covers unusual and unexpected events that can have serious health consequences among the nations of the world.
The Act contains specific rules on, among other things: infectious diseases that shall be registered and notified; information contained in the Infectious Diseases Register; responsibilities of the Directorate of Health; tasks s of the chief epidemiologist of the Directorate of Health; appointment and tasks of the Epidemiological Control Council; general duties of the general public related to infectious diseases; duties of doctors and health professionals; duties of health representatives, health committees, veterinarians, the Icelandic Radiation Protection Authority, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, and the Environment Agency; epidemiological measures for the risk of epidemics within the country; epidemiological measures for the risk of epidemics to or from Iceland; measures to reduce the risk of the spread of infection from individuals; etc.
Article 11 states that the Minister of Health shall appoint a special co-operation committee to gather the necessary data and oversee the necessary measures to assess and eradicate the risk of infection or danger posed by animals, food, activities, water, sewage, ventilation or anything else in the environment that can spread infectious, toxic or radioactive agents.