Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that experts and government officials are downplaying the Ebola threat , and he speculated whether the U.S. may end up with a `` whole ship full '' of American soldiers infected with the virus . In two interviews the Kentucky Republican and ophthalmologist suggested that the U.S. consider canceling flights from affected countries , and that the border with Mexico is not secure enough to keep infected individuals out . How the Ebola virus spreads . Speaking to conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham , Paul questioned whether the Obama administration should carry out its plan to send 3,000 troops to Ebola hot zones in Africa . `` You also have to be concerned about 3,000 soldiers getting back on a ship . Where is disease most transmittable ? When you 're in a very close confines on a ship , we all know about cruises and how they get these diarrhea viruses that are transmitted very easily , '' he said . `` Can you imagine if a whole ship full of our soldiers catch Ebola ? '' Your Ebola questions answered . At a Pentagon press conference , civilian officials said no decisions have been made about the procedures for troops returning to the U.S. , even though some are already there , CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reported . Officials could not say if troops will be quarantined before they return home and if they fall ill how they would be evacuated from Africa . The military is considering converting transport aircraft for the possibility of quarantining troops if needed . They say , however , that the troops will not come into direct contact with people ill with Ebola . Ebola reaches U.S. : A tragedy of errors . Paul , who 's laying groundwork for a potential presidential campaign , said `` we should not underestimate the transmissibility of this '' and questioned the validity to what experts have said . He said officials and the government are letting `` political correctness '' stand in the way of serious discussion about the threat . `` It 's a big mistake to downplay and act as if 'oh , this is not a big deal , we can control all this . ' This could get beyond our control , '' he said . In a separate interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck , Paul expressed concern about the lack of security at the border , saying an insecure `` border is not only a danger for national security purposes , it is also a danger for a world-wide pandemic should it occur . '' Should we worry ? He was also open to talking about canceling U.S. flights from countries where Ebola is rampant . `` If quarantine works within those countries , maybe the countries where it 's ( a problem ) , they will have to be quarantined from the rest of the world , '' he said . The number of individuals treated for Ebola in Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone surpassed 6,500 , with more than 3,000 deaths , according to the World Health Organization . The first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. was identified Wednesday in Dallas . He started exhibiting symptoms after he flew into Liberia , an Ebola hot zone . Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the virus is contracted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person , and it does n't spread through the air . White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday that the Obama administration has the necessary `` medical infrastructure '' to treat the Ebola patient without his illness posing a significant risk to others .
Rand Paul said the government is downplaying the Ebola . The Kentucky Republican told Fox News that he believes President Obama has been too slow to respond and should have done more in a speech on Tuesday. Paul has concerns about U.S. troops going over to help .