LAGOS, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- West African economic bloc ECOWAS has established an emergency committee to assist member countries contain the bird flu epidemic that has broken out in Nigeria, an ECOWAS statement said over the weekend.

    The statement said that the 15-member Economic Community Of West African States was expected to hold a meeting in Dakar, Senegal next Wednesday and Thursday to ensure that the trend already in Nigeria would not spread to neighboring countries.

    "On the basis of the outcome of the meeting ... and other initiatives that have been taken at regional level, a regional plan of action will be prepared in order to contain the epidemic" in the sub-region, the statement said.

    The statement expressed ECOWAS' readiness to assist Nigeria andany other affected nation on measures that would check any escalation.

    Specifically, the statement said ECOWAS would ensure that affected birds were slaughtered according to procedures laid down by the World Organization for Animal Health.

    It said the bloc would also ensure that all staff of poultry farms as well as animals entering or leaving the affected areas were disinfected and screened for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.

    The sub-regional body also appealed to Nigerian authorities to ensure that all vaccines complied with world standards while adequate compensation was paid to poultry farmers. Enditem