Ebola: Stop Kissing, Hugging and Handshaking, Medical Expert Warns Nigerians

Professor Oladapo Ashiru, president of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria, urged Nigerians to avoid kisses, hugs, handshakes and unnecessary physical contact after an imported Ebola case was confirmed in Abuja. In an interview Wednesday on Arise Television, he said Ebola is not airborne and spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of a symptomatic person. He called for physical distancing, strict hygiene and the immediate activation of high-alert measures, including screening at borders and infection controls in health facilities. The Federal Ministry of Health said the patient arrived from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and tested positive on October 20; 44 contacts have been identified.