GENEVA — The World Health Organization released a new protocol Friday for the burial of Ebola victims in an effort to slow transmission of the disease and reinforce signs of progress in curbing the spread of the epidemic in West Africa.

Ebola victims are at their most infectious when they die, and traditional burial rites that bring family members into contact with the deceased have caused 20 percent or more of new infections in the most affected countries, Pierre Formenty, one of the organization’s Ebola experts, told reporters in Geneva.

The protocol, set out in a 17-page guide, was prepared by the W.H.O. in consultation with medical agencies and faith-based organizations. It lays out ways of conducting burials that seek to satisfy the imperatives for safety and the cultural sensitivities of Muslims and Christians.