NEW YORK, October 10. /TASS/. Some 200 airplane cabin cleaners have gone on strike at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, demanding increasing measures to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

The workers are concerned about their safety and health, saying they have not so far been given special gloves and masks to be protected from Ebola, which spreads through direct physical contact with infected bodily fluids.

The airlines employees had to fulfill the cleaners’ duties, media reports said. The day-long action, expected to last until Friday morning local time, has not affected the operations, and no flights had been delayed or canceled.

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is nearing 4,000 people, and more than 8,000 people have been infected, according to the World Health Organization.

Most deaths from the virus are reported in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. US lawmakers want the Department of State to ban travelers from the hardest hit West African countries.