The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has advised Nigerians to avoid shaking hands with people as much as possible even as the Ebola Virus outbreak has been declared a National Emergency.

Addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting yesterday, Onyebuchi said the Federal Government had written to the United States Centre for Disease Control to request for the ZMAPP drug which has proven effective in treating American citizens who contracted the disease.

The Minister advised Nigerians to avoid handshake as much as possible, stating that the virus is both contagious and infectious. He  also said the virus could also be contacted through the sharing of bedspreads, pillow cases and towels among other personal effects with infected person. He said the disease is not airborne but at close range of one meter from an infected person, the disease droplets can be transmitted.