BERLIN – The World Health Organization has released a 17-page manual detailing how to safely bury people who have died from Ebola.
The U.N. agency said Friday the guidelines are part of an effort to reduce the likelihood of people contracting Ebola from corpses.
Get weekly health news
WHO Ebola expert Pierre Formenty says at least one in five infections occur during burials.
READ MORE: How does Ebola spread? 5 things you need to know
The guidelines give step-by-step advice to health workers for both Christian and Muslim burials.
- Nova Scotia aims to reduce mammogram wait times, enhance women’s health care
- Anthrax outbreak kills more than 50 animals, infects 12 people in Zambia
- Childhood Cancer Canada calls for $15M from feds as demand rises
- ‘E-dirt bikes are not toys’: E.R. doc fears more injuries after 2 kids hit in Edmonton
WHO cites guidance from a Muslim chaplain that the ritual washing of the body normally required isn’t needed when someone dies from Ebola. The manual also recommends that items handled by the patient, particularly any mattress they may have used, be burned.
There have been more than 4,800 deaths since December.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.