{"id":311,"date":"2026-05-28T16:14:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstatelogisticshubs.com\/?p=311"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:14:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:14:32","slug":"ebola-versus-traditional-burial-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstatelogisticshubs.com\/?p=311","title":{"rendered":"Ebola versus traditional burial practices"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anyone who\u2019s read the news over the last decade or so has probably heard of Ebola.\u00a0\u00a0Also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, it\u2019s a viral disease that appears not uncommonly in African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.\u00a0\u00a0This time, a rare strain known as Bundibugyo has appeared in Congo and sickened, so far, 1,000 people, with 220 succumbing.<\/p>

Read more Who is really behind data center opposition?<\/a><\/p>\n

Given the serious nature of the disease, you would think the native peoples of the region would do everything possible to stop contagion.\u00a0\u00a0That, however, is not the case.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, at least\u00a0three treatment centers\u00a0in Congo have been attacked and burned by the locals.<\/p>\n

As Ebola is spread by bodily fluids, close contact is highly likely to lead to infection of relatives.\u00a0\u00a0This is the case even with dead bodies.\u00a0\u00a0The body is infectious for at least several days.\u00a0\u00a0Here\u2019s where the local funeral practices have led to conflict with authorities: It\u2019s imperative, culturally, for family members to take possession of the body to honor the deceased relative.\u00a0\u00a0You might not be surprised that the experts say this is not the best policy<\/p>\n

Traditionally, funerals last up to several days.\u00a0\u00a0During this time, community elders or loved ones (often older women) tend to the body in their own homes, washing them and dressing them in their finest clothes.\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes, they will even sleep next to the corpse as it lies in state.\u00a0\u00a0The idea is to receive elements of the spirit of the departed person.<\/p>\n

As you can imagine, contact with a highly contagious corpse is risky business.\u00a0\u00a0In the 2014 epidemic, transmission of the virus to family members of deceased individuals accounted for 80 percent of new cases in Sierra Leone and a majority of cases in Guinea.\u00a0\u00a0Slowing the spread of Ebola requires, therefore, persuading families to change\u00a0funeral practices\u00a0or risk deadly contagion.<\/p>\n

Hospitals are holding briefings with the family as to what the process is when a person dies of Ebola, but customs are difficult to change.\u00a0\u00a0Programs to explain the elements of a safe burial often meet with resistance, even hostility, due to appearing irreverent.<\/p>

Read more The inanity of land acknowledgments<\/a><\/p>\n

One obstacle that government burial teams encountered was that the body was placed inside a black bag.\u00a0\u00a0Without seeing the body, family members doubted the identity of the person being buried.\u00a0\u00a0New bags now have a transparent area where the face of the loved one can be seen.<\/p>\n

A people\u2019s culture is ingrained over generations, which means that controlling the spread of Ebola may be difficult.\u00a0\u00a0Modern medicine\u2019s efforts to change burial practices in Ebola\u2019s backyard may yet meet with success; if so, the likelihood of an outbreak will be much lower.<\/p>\n

Note: The Trump administration is building a\u00a0quarantine and treatment center\u00a0in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola while visiting Ebola areas in Africa \u2014 a contrast to past outbreaks, where Americans would be brought to the U.S. for treatment in specialized units.<\/p>\n

Joe Alton, M.D. is a retired physician, medical preparedness advocate, and N.Y. Times bestselling author of <\/em>The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Help Is Not on the Way and other books.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Read more Jumping to conclusions<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"<p><em>Image<\/figure>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Image via Pixabay.<\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone who\u2019s read the news over the last decade or so has probably heard of Ebola.\u00a0\u00a0Also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, it\u2019s a viral disease that appears not uncommonly in African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.\u00a0\u00a0This time, a rare strain known as Bundibugyo has appeared in Congo and sickened, so far, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,161],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare","category-trust-the-science","tag-related-topics-trust-the-science"],"yoast_head":"\nEbola versus traditional burial practices - Interstate Logistics Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interstatelogisticshubs.com\/?p=311\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ebola versus traditional burial practices - 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