The Kwara State Government has debunked viral reports claiming that a corps member died of Lassa fever at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in the state.
The clarification was made on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Health, Saad Hamdalat, following an investigation by the state’s Rapid Response Team (RRT).
According to the statement, the probe was led by the State Epidemiologist, Dr Kamaldeen Khadeejah, after a social media post on Sunday, February 8, 2026, alleged that a corps member had died of suspected Lassa fever at the camp.
The government said findings from field investigations and a retrospective active case search revealed no evidence of Lassa fever infection or transmission within the NYSC camp.
It added that no suspected or confirmed cases of viral haemorrhagic fever were recorded among corps members or camp officials.
Dr Kamaldeen noted that although the public health risk is currently low, surveillance has been intensified as a precaution.
“Surveillance activities have been strengthened at the camp to ensure early detection and prompt response to any suspected illness,” she said.
She explained that the Rapid Response Team conducted supportive supervision at the camp clinic, reinforced infection prevention and control measures, and sensitised health workers and corps members on the symptoms, early reporting and prevention of Lassa fever.
The epidemiologist urged the public to disregard unverified social media reports and rely on official government information.
Providing further clarification, the NYSC State Coordinator, Olaoluwa Onifade, said the corps member mentioned in the report had a pre-existing chronic illness.
He explained that the camp management contacted the parent, who took her to an external health facility on February 1, 2026, adding that the corps member later died on February 7, 2026, outside the camp.
“No laboratory confirmation of Lassa fever has been reported to the Rapid Response Team. The investigation found no evidence of Lassa fever transmission within the NYSC camp, as there were no clusters of febrile illness or symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever among corps members,” Onifade said.
The Environmental Health Officer, Adamu Kabiru, advised that sanitation and rodent control measures be strengthened to reduce public health risks, stressing the importance of proper waste disposal, sanitary dustbins and discouraging bush burning.
Similarly, the State Health Promotion Officer, Jubril Abdul Kareem, educated corps members on Lassa fever symptoms such as body pain, headache, restlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting and sore throat, and highlighted preventive measures, including avoiding contact with rats and storing food in covered containers.
