Ok then, a quick a dirty non-professional overview of ebola tracking (I've looked into volunteering with MSF, but not done so). As I understand it, when they have a confirmed or likely case, they sort out who's had any sort of contact with the patient, and then do interviews with those contacts, sort out the likelihood of infection and proceed from there. Those in truly close contact (spouses for example, or the kid's parents) get watched closely, those who've had some contact, but none likely to transmit it (for example, the patient spoke to them but no physical contact) are told to report any symptoms. If somebody develops ebola symptoms, lather rinse and repeat, if not then they're cleared after 21 days (the max incubation period)
So you'd need to know how contagious it is, and by what methods (contra ebola, HIV contact tracing is sexual contacts, nobody cares who bags your groceries), the incubation period, etc.
In the real world, if it's of limited contagiousness, and not particularly fast acting, we'd treat it like HIV — limit the spread, but let people go about their business. Quite contagious and fast acting = quarantine until it's run its course. I can't think of any very contagious things that don't run their course relatively quickly, and anything not that contagious but fast acting would probably just get a simple shrug and stay home until you feel better.
If you give me more details, I can play "ask a pharmacist", I'm sorta-not-really-but-kinda dating one.
(Please forgive my spelling, I'm on my phone)
