Obama: Treat Ebola like the global security threat it is

In an interconnected world, President Obama said Friday at a global health summit at the White House, outbreaks of deadly viruses like Ebola have the potential to affect every nation.

"This virus can be beaten," the president told representatives of more than 40 countries. But "strong and determined" health workers, he added, "need a little help."

Since the first cases of the deadly disease were reported six months ago, the official tally of cases in West Africa has reached an estimated 5,800 illnesses and over 2,800 deaths. The U.N. health agency has warned that those numbers likely underestimate the actual toll and that cases are rising exponentially.

Mr. Obama said that while the U.S. is taking "an opportunity to lead" the response to the outbreak, it must also be a global priority. He announced last week that the U.S. was dispatching 3,000 military personnel to the region to help contain the Ebola crisis.

Arguing it's crucial to make sure the world is not "caught flat-footed" if there are future outbreaks of deadly viruses, the president cautioned: "We have to change our mindsets and start thinking about biological threats as the security threats they are.

"...No community should be left at the mercy of a horrific disease," he said.