People who die of Ebola probably remain infectious for at least a week after death, according to a new study.

The findings underscore how important it is to safely handle and bury corpses in the epidemic.

Funerals at which mourners washed or touched bodies are believed to have spread the disease to many new victims. In a safer practice, teams dressed in full protective gear spray the body with bleach, put it in a body bag and then either cremate it or bury it deeply. At the funeral, family members are allowed to view the body but not to touch it.

Image The Ebola virus. Credit... National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the study offered “microbiological proof positive of what we’ve been observing in a field setting — that kissing or washing or caressing bodies is almost certainly the way a lot gets transmitted.”