January, 2018 marks the 500th anniversary of the first attempts to control by regulation an infectious disease in England. Given its historical importance, it will not surprise readers of The Lancet Infectious Diseases that the disease in question was plague. In January, 1518 a royal proclamation was issued by Henry VIII setting out ways in which plague was to be controlled, such as the marking of affected houses. Although an important milestone in English public health, this was not the first time publicly prescribed precautions against plague had been issued.

中文翻译：

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持久提醒人们公共卫生的重要性

2018年1月是英国首次尝试通过法规控制传染病500周年。鉴于其历史重要性，《柳叶刀》传染病的读者不会惊讶于所讨论的疾病是鼠疫。1518年1月，亨利八世发布了一项皇家法令，其中规定了控制鼠疫的方法，例如标记受灾房屋。尽管这是英国公共卫生领域的一个重要里程碑，但这并不是第一次公开发布针对鼠疫的预防措施。