The Ebola virus can survive in the bodies of victims for up to a week after death, a new study reveals.

Macaques that perished from Ebola were examined, and tissue samples taken. Investigators found the virus can last up to seven days in the corpses, and non-infectious genetic material can still be present up to 10 times longer than that amount of time.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) researchers conducted the study. The ability of the Ebola viruses to survive in the bodies of victims had never before been carefully examined.

This new study highlights the danger posed by the Ebola virus, even after the death of a victim, along with the importance of safely handling and disposing of bodies.

Knowledge of how people died, and whether or not they were carrying the virus, is vital, both to track progress of the disease and to inform others with whom they may have been in contact.  

Moth swabs taken from victims have also been shown to be a reliable means of testing corpses for the presence of the Ebola virus. The process is also considered to be safer than tissue biopsies. However, it is possible swabs may not be as reliable as blood tests at detecting the disease in those who perished from other causes soon after contracting the disease.

Five macaques who were euthanized after showing signs of the disease were examined as part of the study. The bodies of the animals were placed in a chamber to simulate environmental conditions in west Africa, the epicenter of the latest outbreak. For 10 weeks, researchers took samples from four internal organs and seven body surfaces, testing for the presence of the virus. Live Ebola viruses were found within internal organs of animals who had died three days before, and the organism was still present in surface swabs a week after death.

Viral RNA was also recorded in the bodies. The highest concentrations were found in blood, nasal and oral secretions.

"Viable virus can persist for at least seven days on surfaces of bodies, confirming that transmission from deceased persons is possible for an extended period after death. These data are also applicable for interpreting samples collected from remains of wildlife infected with Ebola virus, especially nonhuman primates, and to assess risks for handling these carcasses," researchers wrote in the study.

Ebola has now infected around 22,000 people, and killed 9,000 victims so far during this latest outbreak, the worst so far. The virus can only be contracted by those people who come in contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

Examination of the survivability of Ebola viruses in corpses was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.