国内英语新闻:U.S. Army considers combating Ebola national security priority

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey on Wednesday called the fight against Ebola in West Africa a U.S. national security priority.

In a statement of U.S. Defense Department, Dempsey said the U.S. military will leverage its unique capabilities to support international and U.S. efforts in response to the crisis.

The U.S. military mission to West Africa will not include direct patient care, Dempsey noted. "We're making sure the men and women who deploy are provided with the right training and the proper protective equipment," the general said.

"We have ensured the highest medical and safety protocols are in place before, during and after deployment," he said

During deployment, doctors will conduct daily temperature and symptom checks of all service members, Dempsey said. "We will also ensure daily monitoring by leadership for 21 days upon return to quickly identify any signs of illness."

American forces are working to build a 25-bed hospital for medical personnel who might be exposed to Ebola, and officials have said construction should finish by Nov. 5. Public Health Service personnel will staff the facility and are scheduled to arrive on Nov. 1.

Personnel are also constructing 17 Ebola treatment facilities, and labs staffed by U.S. personnel have already tested thousands of samples for Ebola.

According to United Nations statistics, the deadly disease has claimed the lives of more than 4,500 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The World Health Organization says that, left unchecked, 1.4 million people could have Ebola by the end of the year. The mortality rate from the virus is between 60 and 70 percent.

Up to 4,000 U.S. service members may eventually deploy to western Africa, and 632 personnel are already in the region -- 511 in the Liberian capital of Monrovia and 121 in a staging area in nearby Dakar, Senegal.