The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 is a law which was first enacted to tackle bubonic plague in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in former British India.

Power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease 2A.

The Act has been routinely used to contain various diseases in India such as swine flu, cholera, malaria and dengue.

In 2015, it was used to deal with dengue and malaria in Chandigarh and in 2009 it was invoked in Pune to combat swine flu.

[12] Following the COVID-19 pandemic the Cabinet Secretary of India on 11 March 2020 announced that all states and Union territories should invoke provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.