Health authorities and the United Nations have criticized the latest measures taken by some US states to impose mandatory quarantines on health workers who have returned home from treating Ebola victims in West Africa. The top health official in Washington warned against stigmatizing doctors and nurses who travel to West Africa to combat Ebola. The United Nations condemned the new restrictions imposed by certain US states on health workers returning from Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, stating that these individuals should be supported rather than stigmatized. American soldiers returning from West Africa are also being isolated, despite showing no symptoms of infection or being exposed to the virus. Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno ordered a 21-day monitoring period for returning soldiers to reassure their families and communities that all necessary steps are being taken to protect their health. The Army placed around twelve soldiers in isolation upon their return to their home base in Vicenza, Italy over the weekend. This group included Major General Darryl Williams, the leader of U.S. Army Africa, who supervised the military's initial efforts in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Williams explained to Reuters in a phone interview that they are staying in a separate area on the base, without any contact with the general population or their families. He emphasized that the US military members are not in contact with Ebola patients, but are focused on constructing treatment facilities to assist health authorities in combating the epidemic. Dr. Jeff Duchin, Washington State epidemiologist and chairman of the public health committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, stated that up to 4,000 U.S. troops may be deployed on a mission, and from a public health perspective, he does not believe isolation is appropriate. This decision goes beyond established military protocols and came as the Obama administration was discouraging precautionary quarantines imposed by some states on healthcare workers returning from Ebola-affected countries. US federal health officials have updated guidelines for returning doctors and nurses, with Dr. Thomas Frieden of the CDC calling for isolation of those at highest risk for Ebola but recommending daily monitoring for most medical workers returning from affected countries. The CDC makes decisions based on science and experience. Frieden stated that guidelines and recommendations are adapted as science and experience evolve. The new guidelines from the Obama administration are not mandatory, allowing states to implement stricter policies if desired. Australia recently implemented a ban on visas from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading to the country. However, experts criticize this decision as politically motivated and shortsighted. Despite fears, medical professionals emphasize that Ebola is difficult to catch and not spread through asymptomatic people. Mandatory quarantines have been denounced by various groups as scientifically unjustified and hindering efforts to fight the disease in West Africa. UN officials stress the importance of supporting health workers returning from affected regions.