Once again: dead bodies don't cause disease epidemics

It seems with every terrible natural disaster we have to say the same thing. Dead bodies aren't a public health risk:

Contrary to popular belief, dead bodies left from natural disasters such as the China earthquake and Myanmar cyclone are not a source of disease or a health threat to survivors, the World Health Organization said Friday.

"There is a widespread and erroneous belief that dead bodies are a source of disease and therefore a threat to public health. This is untrue," [Arturo Pesigan, WHO's Western Pacific Region's headquarters in Manila] said.

"There has never been a documented case of a post-natural-disaster epidemic that could be traced to dead bodies," said the doctor, who helps oversee emergency and humanitarian services in the region.

He said those killed by disasters were generally healthy at the time of their death, and were unlikely to be a source of infection to others.

"The micro-organisms responsible for the decomposition of bodies are not capable of causing disease in living people," the WHO technical officer said.

"Most infectious agents of public health concern that may be present at the time of death will themselves die within hours of the person dying.