Ebola was front and center Thursday as U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden was put on the hot seat in Capitol Hill as legislators criticized the CDC's tactics in handling the spread of the infection.

After two medical workers who cared for the first Ebola patient were confirmed to have contracted Ebola, lawmakers in Capitol Hill indignantly questioned the CDC's efficacy in handling the spread of the virus.

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Though Frieden admitted to his agency's lapses, he persistently defended its efforts in protecting the American people against health-related threats.

"CDC works 24/7 to protect Americans. There are no shortcuts. We have a team of 20 of some of the world's top disease detectives in Texas now. We were there. We left the first day [Duncan] was diagnosed," he stated.

In spite of incessant reassurances from health officials, however, Republican lawmakers insisted that fear had spread throughout the country and insisted that travel bans should be the next step in preventing the spread of Ebola.

On the other hand, President Barack Obama said late on Thursday that he might consider the suggestion in the future following reports of the third Ebola patient, another nurse from the Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas who aided in the treatment of Thomas Eric Duncan, travelling by air to and from Cleveland.

According to reports, Amber Joy Vinson called the CDC prior to boarding the Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 to Cleveland on Monday.

Officials there had confirmed that eight people who came in contact with Vinson had initiated their own isolation and are under close monitoring of federal health officials while others are still being tracked down by health agencies.

According to the CDC, passengers who flew with Vinson to Ohio and back to Dallas on Monday were being notified as of Thursday bringing the number of people under close monitoring to nearly a thousand.

Despite this, CDC officials are still confident that the people being monitored have low risk of catching the Ebola virus which is transmitted via contact with an infected person's bodily fluids including blood and vomit.

TagsVirus, outbreak, US, CDC, flight, travel ban, Obama