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To: Smokin' Joe
But surely, the response time for the undertakers in West Africa is over two hours, at least often. Yet it is the most dangerous job in the world at the moment.

I do not know that Africa has undertakers, and traditionally, families prepare and bury their own dead. At this time, to control the spread of disease, governments in the affected countries have directed that families do NOT prepare their dead for burial in the traditional manner. Specially trained teams are sent out to collect the dead and bury them.

This article describes the burial teams, and some of the cultural factors that have led to the Ebola outbreak growing so large.

This video shows the "burial boys" at work. Notice how the villagers respond to them with anger and mistrust. It's really hard to impose disease control measures when they conflict with traditional culture.

In Africa, as elsewhere, there is a whole range of responses to the outbreak. Some people insist on adhering to cultural traditions, while others leave bodies where they died and give them wide berth.

75 posted on 10/07/2014 4:23:32 AM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: exDemMom

I have been aware of this. By “undertakers” I was referring to the burial teams, not anything like the standard US undertaker.


77 posted on 10/07/2014 4:29:28 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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