U.S. prepares major offensive against Ebola

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The United States will enlarge efforts to control West Africa's outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has killed over 2,400 people thus far.

President Barack Obama will visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta Tuesday to announce a plan for increased U.S. efforts, which could include the involvement of the U.S. military. The president is expected to ask Congress to approve his request for an additional $88 million to fund them.

"There's a lot that we've been putting toward this, but it is not sufficient," Lisa Monaco, White House counter-terrorism adviser, said, "So the president has directed a more scaled-up response and that's what you're going to hear more about on Tuesday."

Obama also plans to seek international commitments of funding, materials and health workers when he attends the gathering of world leaders at the United Nations next week.

The CDC has at least 105 employees in West Africa, and the U.S. military has at least eight service members in the region. The U.S. government has spent $100 million in combating the disease since March and is committed to funding $75 million more, a U.S. Agency for International Aid official said.