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| Liberia orders Ebola victims' bodies to be cremated | Liberia orders Ebola victims' bodies to be cremated |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Liberia's government has ordered that all bodies of people killed by the Ebola virus must be cremated. | Liberia's government has ordered that all bodies of people killed by the Ebola virus must be cremated. |
| The decision follows the refusal of some communities to allow the burial of Ebola victims on their land. | The decision follows the refusal of some communities to allow the burial of Ebola victims on their land. |
| Ebola has claimed 728 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone this year, the worst-ever outbreak. | Ebola has claimed 728 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone this year, the worst-ever outbreak. |
| It spreads by contact with infected blood and bodily fluids - and touching the body of someone who has died of Ebola is particularly dangerous. | It spreads by contact with infected blood and bodily fluids - and touching the body of someone who has died of Ebola is particularly dangerous. |
| The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in the capital, Monrovia, says cremation is not part of the culture in Liberia and health experts say burial ceremonies have played a role in the transmission of the virus. | The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in the capital, Monrovia, says cremation is not part of the culture in Liberia and health experts say burial ceremonies have played a role in the transmission of the virus. |
| Meanwhile, the US is planning to send at least 50 public health experts within the next 30 days to help contain the outbreak. | Meanwhile, the US is planning to send at least 50 public health experts within the next 30 days to help contain the outbreak. |
| "We do know how to stop Ebola," said Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about the new US measures in an interview with ABC's This Week. | "We do know how to stop Ebola," said Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about the new US measures in an interview with ABC's This Week. |
| "It's old-fashioned plain and simple public health: Find the patients, make sure they get treated, find their contacts, track them, educate people, do infection control in hospitals." | "It's old-fashioned plain and simple public health: Find the patients, make sure they get treated, find their contacts, track them, educate people, do infection control in hospitals." |
| There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola - but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment. | There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola - but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment. |
| The current outbreak is killing between 50% and 60% of people infected. | The current outbreak is killing between 50% and 60% of people infected. |
| Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from areas like eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure. | Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from areas like eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure. |
| Hand-washing warning | Hand-washing warning |
| Liberia's Information Minister Lewis Brown made the announcement on state radio about cremations after an incident over the weekend when a community refused to allow the burial of some bodies, most of them Ebola victims. | |
| Thirty-four bodies were buried but the protests meant 12 were left out in the open for a day until it was decided to cremate them on Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah told the BBC. | |
| Mr Brown also warned that businesses that did not install hand-washing facilities would be shut down. | |
| Ebola virus disease (EVD) | Ebola virus disease (EVD) |
| Our reporter says the call for hand washing as part of the preventive measures has led to a boom in the sale of tap buckets in Monrovia. | Our reporter says the call for hand washing as part of the preventive measures has led to a boom in the sale of tap buckets in Monrovia. |
| On Friday, Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, met the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to launch a new $100m (£59m) Ebola response plan. | On Friday, Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, met the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to launch a new $100m (£59m) Ebola response plan. |
| In Sierra Leone, the army is in the process of deploying to the east of the country to help health officials quarantine areas affected by Ebola. | In Sierra Leone, the army is in the process of deploying to the east of the country to help health officials quarantine areas affected by Ebola. |
| Code-named Operation Octopus, the deployment, which includes military doctors and nurses, began on Sunday and is expected to take three days. | Code-named Operation Octopus, the deployment, which includes military doctors and nurses, began on Sunday and is expected to take three days. |
| Ebola since 1976 | Ebola since 1976 |