The myth that dead bodies spread disease causes a lot of hardship for everyone, especially people that believe embalming is a desecration of the body and then are denied viewing.

Mortuary workers and handlers need to practice basic hygiene, as this article suggests: http://www.paho.org/english/dd/pin/Number21_article01.htm

But the main way disease is spread – through body fluids – almost ceases when folks stop breathing. Apparently the rules about viewing were made either prior to the science or they ignored the science.

BTW – I think that mortuary transport services can be very helpful to families, especially those that are planning home funerals. With the advent of hospice and more people passing at home, having home visitations and wakes should become more common, with the body taken directly to the crematorium or the cemetery.

In fact, now that I think of it — we have some wonderful wicker coffins that look just like the old removals baskets from a long time ago! They’d be tricky around the corners but they sure would soften the look of a body bag!