The authorities of Madagascar appealed to the inhabitants of the island with an appeal to abandon the Famadikhana ceremony - ritual dances with deceased relatives.
During this ritual, the dead are taken out of their graves, dressed in a new shroud, taken in their arms and danced, and then returned back. It is believed that in this way the relatives of the deceased receive their blessing. In addition, according to local beliefs, a person passes into another world only after being completely decomposed, and before that he needs to periodically “contact” with loved ones.
However, due to the plague epidemic that broke out on the island, the Famadihana ceremony began to pose a real danger, according to the Daily Mail.
Willie Randriamarotia, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Health: "If a person dies of pneumonic plague, and then his grave is opened for Famadihana, the infection can be transmitted to those who come into contact with the body."
The plague has already spread to 37 of Madagascar's 114 regions. From August 1 to October 20, the disease was suspected in 1153 cases, 300 of them were confirmed. To date, 94 people have died of the plague on the island.