W Africa seals off Ebola outbreak epicenter(2)

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf warned ahead of the summit that the crisis was "nearing a catastrophe" and appealed for more doctors and supplies.

Sierra Leone has declared a state of emergency, called in troops to isolate Ebola victims and canceled foreign trips by ministers.

Nigeria was intensifying surveillance to curtail possible spread of Ebola virus after the death of a 40-year-old Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, on July 25 in Lagos, the nation's commercial hub.

GLOBAL PRECAUTIOUS MEASURES

The United States, Germany, Italy and France have issued warnings against traveling to West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that his country will screen African delegates for symptoms of Ebola at the first U.S.-Africa summit scheduled to take place in Washington next week.

In the coming days, the United States will evacuate two citizens who have been infected by the Ebola virus in West Africa by a non-commercial aircraft.

In Britain, Sierra Leone cyclist Moses Sesay was quarantined and tested for Ebola at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, before being given the all-clear.

Dubai's Emirates became the first global airline to announce suspending flights to the stricken area. Pan-African airlines Arik and ASKY have also halted flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Kenya, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin said they have enhanced screening at border points and airports, while Asia-Pacific nations and regions from Hong Kong to Australia have also announced tighter security measures at airports, warning against travel to the Ebola-hit countries.