West African funerals may have helped the spread of Ebola, according to one health expert.

The quick spread of the disease has also been attributed to the fact the current outbreak was focused more in urban areas, than rural districts where it has historically been easy to contain.

Centre for International Health co-director John Crump says mourners may have inadvertently helped spread the disease.

He says traditional funeral practices include ritual cleansing of bodies, which is particularly risky to those who participate in the act.