With a rising number of cases and increasing death toll from the West Africa Ebola virus outbreak, more and more people become increasingly concerned about how to prevent and cure the deadly disease.

The Ebola virus outbreak is a very serious matter but experts reassure the public that the risk for a global outbreak is low. Infection-control security measures have been put in place to control the spread.

"I have no doubt that we will control this importation, or case, of Ebola so that it does not spread widely in this country," quoted NPR of CDC director, Dr. Tom Frieden.

With over 8,000 reported cases and more than 3,800 dead, one may wonder why the CDC is confident that the Ebola won't spread in the U.S. Well, based on what we know about the virus, it all boils down to how contagious it is. Ebola is not as contagious as other common viruses or diseases -- it spreads through blood or bodily fluids.

Unlike the common cold, measles or SARS, the virus is not airborne.

NPR further explained:

"The reproduction number, or "R nought," is a mathematical term that tells you how contagious an infectious disease is. Specifically, it's the number of people who catch the disease from one sick person, on average, in an outbreak.

Take, for example, measles. The virus is one of the most contagious diseases known to man. It's R0 sits around 18. That means each person with the measles spreads it to 18 people, on average, when nobody is vaccinated. (When everyone is vaccinated, the R0 drops to essentially zero for measles).

At the other end of the spectrum are viruses like HIV and hepatitis C. Their R0s tend to fall somewhere between 2 and 4. They're still big problems, but they spread much more slowly than the measles.

And that brings us back to Ebola. Despite its nasty reputation, the virus's R0 really isn't that impressive. It typically sits around 1.5 to 2.0."

Authorities have continuously assured the public that they are taking all measures to safeguard the country from Ebola.

"Ebola can be scary. But there's all the difference in the world between the U.S. and parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. The United States has a strong health care system and public health professionals who will make sure this case does not threaten our communities," said CDC Director Frieden via the CDC website.

"While it is not impossible that there could be additional cases associated with this patient in the coming weeks, I have no doubt that we will contain this."

Dallas Ebola Patient Thomas Eric Duncan

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, Duncan became the first person to die of Ebola in the United States. Addressing the criticism on how the case was handled, the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has released the following statement.

"Our team provided Mr. Duncan with the same high level of attention and care that would be given any patient, regardless of nationality or ability to pay for care," reported the Huffington Post on Thursday. "We have a long history of treating a multicultural community in this area."

The hospital has gone on the defensive after being repeatedly asked to explain why Duncan was sent home following his initial complaints of being ill, noted NBC News.

Per CDC guidelines, individuals with symptoms like Duncan's (fever and abdominal pain), who returned from Liberia, should have been handled differently.