A general quarantine may be established and maintained whenever any communicable disease of domestic animals shall exist in any locality in the state larger in extent than that which may be included in a special quarantine. A general quarantine shall be established and maintained by order of the commissioner only; but in establishing and maintaining such quarantine the commissioner may act through and by an officer or agent employed by him to whom such power is delegated, and the establishment and maintenance of such quarantine by any officer, agent or employee of the commissioner shall be prima facie the establishment and maintenance of quarantine by the commissioner. Such quarantine shall include such premises, locality or territorial district, and such animals, and shall continue for such time, as may be deemed necessary by the commissioner. Whenever any premises or any locality or territorial district shall be placed under a general quarantine, it shall be the duty of the officer, agent or employee by whom the order of quarantine is executed, to post at least ten notices in the most public places within the premises, locality or territorial district quarantined, declaring the quarantine and the duration thereof, the extent and limits of the premises, locality, or territorial district so quarantined, and the animals subject thereto. A copy of such notice shall be published as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the quarantined area. If the quarantine shall be for the purpose of preventing the spread of rabies or hydrophobia, and in the case of other communicable diseases, if the commissioner deems such action necessary, the notice shall require all dogs within the quarantined area to be confined by their owners.
