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The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is "spiraling out of control" and posing a potential threat to global security, U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday.
"If the outbreak is not stopped now, we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people infected, with profound political and economic and security implications for all of us," Obama said as he visited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the state of Atlanta.
The President's visit came after he ordered to send 3,000 troops to West Africa to help contain the deadly virus. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday that troops will provide logistical and engineering support to health care professionals rather than offer direct patient care.
The World Health Organization said last week Ebola had killed more than 2,400 people out of 4,784 cases in West Africa.
"It's a potential threat to global security if these countries break down," Obama said, referring to the hardest-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Emphasizing "a truly global response" to contain the epidemic, Obama urged international organizations act faster and called on more countries to contribute experienced personnel, supplies, and funding.
However, Obama said the chances of an Ebola outbreak in the United States are "extremely low", adding that the U.S. has been taking necessary precautions, including working with countries in West Africa to increase screening at airports.
