Obama urges 'more aggressive' Ebola fight

United States President Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to combat the Ebola outbreak in a "much more aggressive way," highlighting an increased sense of urgency regarding the spread of the disease and calling on the world to more vigorously fight the epidemic in West Africa.

Obama's comments came after it emerged on Wednesday that a second US ebola patient had taken a domestic flight on a commercial airliner, a day before testing positive for the virus, widening fears the disease could spread in the US.

"We want a rapid response team, a SWAT team essentially, from the CDC to be on the ground as quickly as possible, hopefully within 24 hours, so that they are taking the local hospital step by step through what needs to be done," Obama said.

Obama, who canceled a Thursday political trip to monitor the government's ebola response, also urged world leaders to fight the spread of the disease in hardest-hit West Africa.

"We are going to have to make sure that we do not lose sight of the importance of the international response to what is taking place in West Africa," Obama said. Earlier the US President called his counteparts in Britain, France, Germany, and Italy in order to better coordinate the global response to the outbreak.

"Leaders agreed that this was the most serious international public health emergency in recent years and that the international community needed to do much more and faster," British Prime Minister David Cameron's office said.

To this end, the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the world to "dramatically expand the provision of resources and financial and material assistance" to West Africa.

Infected nurse flew commercial flight

Meanwhile, in an alarming turn, the CDC his issued an alert for all passengers who flew on an October 13 flight from Cleveland to Texas after it emerged a nurse who had tested positive for ebola was on board.

Health authorities wish to interview 132 people who flew one the flight with the nurse, identified as 29-year-old Amber Joy Vinson.

Thomas Frieden, Chief of the CDC said the case was "very concerning," as health workers who have worked in close proximity to Ebola patients have been warned not to use public transportation.

"She was in a group of individuals known to have exposure to Ebola. She should not have traveled on a commercial airline," Frieden said of Vinson.

"The investigation is identifying additional health care workers who will be very closely monitored and we are planning for the possibility of additional cases in the coming days."

Vinson is the second woman to become infected after treating a Liberian Ebola partient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of the disease on October 8.

Travel restrictions

United States Speaker of the House John Boehner announced on Wednesday that the US should consider a temporary travel ban on flights from Ebola-afflicted countries.

"A temporary ban on travel to the United States from countries afflicted with the virus is something that the president should absolutely consider along with any other appropriate actions as doubts about the security of our air travel systems grow," Boehner said in a statement.

Airports in the United States, Britain and Canada have announced enhanced screening protocols for passengers traveling from West Africa. France announced as well that it would also begin carrying out health checks at airports.

The current Ebola outbreak, the worst on record, has claimed nearly 4500 lives according to the World Health Organization.

bw/crh (AP, AFP, Reuters)