As death toll passes 2,600 U.S. lawmakers worry about spread of Ebola

Legislators in Washington are becoming increasingly concerned about the spread of Ebola and worry that it could become more contagious and potentially spread into the United States.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - President Obama's new plan to put 3,000 U.S. troops into West Africa comes as lawmakers fear that current international efforts may not be enough to contain the current Ebola outbreak-the deadliest in recorded history.

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So far, over 2,600 people have died from this outbreak, and the United Nations issued a plea for $1 billion to contain the epidemic, though some think the time to contain the outbreak has passed.

"We're late to this challenge," said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin from Illinois.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner echoed those words with his own.

"I think this Ebola outbreak in Africa is a serious problem, and I'm a bit surprised the administration hasn't acted more quickly to address what is a serious threat, not only to Africans, but to others around the world," Boehner said.

Recently, the president made a speech at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, detailing his administration's current efforts to control the epidemic.

"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. "So, this is an epidemic that is not just a threat to regional security, it's a potential threat to global security."

There are concerns that people infected with Ebola could attempt to hide their symptoms to enter the United States for treatment.

"I am worried because many people, who - I'm told - have the symptoms are afraid to say anything. Their local governments will quarantine them and not treat them, so they'll just die. Some of them, in desperation, get on airplanes to get out of the country to save their lives," said Durbin.

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