The health risks of dead bodies are dangers related to the improper preparation and disposal of cadavers. While normal circumstances allow cadavers to be quickly embalmed, cremated, or buried; natural and man-made disasters can quickly overwhelm and/or interrupt the established protocols for dealing with the dead. Under such circumstances, the decomposition and putrefaction of cadavers goes unchecked, and raises a series of health, logistical, and psychological issues. After disasters with extensive loss of life due to trauma rather than disease—earthquakes, storms, human conflict, etc.—many resources are often expended on burying the dead quickly, and applying disinfectant to bodies for the specific purpose of preventing disease. Specialists say that spraying is a waste of disinfectant and manpower, that "resources that should be going into establishment of water supply, sanitation, shelter, warmth and hygienic food for the survivors are being applied to digging mass graves", and that "Time and time again, eminent and authoritative experts have pointed out that dead bodies do not constitute a health hazard".

Other considerations which are very important, but not directly relevant to the topic of health risks, include religious and cultural practices, the stench, and the effect on morale.

Roots of incorrect notion

The incorrect notion that all dead bodies inherently cause diseases is consistent with:

  1. The incorrect historical miasma theory of disease, which held that diseases are spread by foul air—in this case fouled by the stench of decomposing corpses.
  2. Confusion between normal decay processes and signs of disease; and the incorrect idea that microorganisms responsible for decomposition are dangerous to living people. "Microorganisms involved in the decay process (putrefaction) are not pathogenic".

According to a PAHO article on the Infectious Disease Risks From Dead Bodies Following Natural Disasters:

To those in close contact with the dead, such as rescue workers, there is a health risk from chronic infectious diseases which those killed may have been suffering from and which spread by direct contact, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, HIV, enteric intestinal pathogens, tuberculosis, cholera, ebola and others.<!--***Have commented out this reference as it seems irrelevant; there are 2 relevant refs not related to alternative medicine, ornithine, or weight loss. ***--> They are toxic if massive doses are ingested (acute oral toxicity of 2&nbsp;g per kg of body weight of pure putrescine in rats, a larger dose for cadaverine); there are no effects at all for a tenth of that dose. While figures for humans are not available, allometric scaling, which takes into account body surface area, is often used to compare doses in different animals, with useful results. Scaling 2g/kg from rats suggests that a 60&nbsp;kg (132&nbsp;lb) person would be significantly affected by of pure putrescine. For comparison the similar substance spermine, found in semen, is over 3 times as toxic.

See also

  • Neurine

References

  • WHO guidelines on hygiene precautions when dealing with disposal of remains
  • Health and safety information related to water purification, disease prevention, and management of dead bodies
  • CNN &mdash; WHO: Corpses pose little threat
  • slate.msn&mdash; Are Dead Bodies Dangerous?
  • psandman.com Talking About Dead Bodies: Risk Communication After a Catastrophe
  • Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders, 2nd ed., Pan American Health Organization, 2009. Downloadable book including printable forms such as Dead body identification form, Missing persons form, Label for dead body, etc.