US shoppers on the look out for the perfect Halloween costume for this year will now have a range of Ebola-themed outfits to choose from, with the range sparking much controversy across the country.

Emergency protection clothing has been touted as the most popular costume for Halloween 2014, with a range of hazmat suits, respirators, rubber gloves and gas masks going on sale despite the Ebola crisis raging on.

For sale at costume shops across the US, the yellow and white hazmat suits, which are most commonly donned by health workers who are coming into contact with Ebola samples or patients as part of their work, have proven a hit with buyers.

Richard Parrott of Ricky’s costume confirmed that “people are definitely asking about an Ebola-type costume”. However, he went on to say that, while he had thought about making an Ebola-style costume and donating a portion of the profits towards finding a cure for the virus, he had decided against it as it “felt like it probably crosses a line that we don’t want to cross”.

Another firm, BrandsOnSale, is selling an ‘Ebola Containment Suit Costume’ for $79.99, (AU$91) featuring a white outfit emblazoned with the word ‘Ebola’. The store says that the outfit will “literally be the most ‘viral’ costume of the year”.

Many feel that these costumes make light of what is an incredibly serious issue – more than 4,500 people have so far died from the disease, mainly in West Africa.