KWARA DEBUNKS LASSA FEVER DEATH RUMOURS AT NYSC ORIENTATION CAMP
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Kwara State Government has dismissed social media reports claiming that a corps member died of Lassa fever at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in the state.
The denial was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Saad Hamdalat, following an investigation carried out by the state’s Rapid Response Team.
According to the statement, the investigation 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 showed no evidence of Lassa fever infection or transmission within the NYSC orientation camp.
The government added that no suspected or confirmed cases of viral haemorrhagic fever were detected among corps members or camp officials.
Dr. Kamaldeen, however, stated that surveillance had been stepped up as a precaution.
“While the current public health risk is considered low, monitoring at the camp has been intensified to ensure early detection and prompt response to any suspected illness,” she said.
She revealed that the Rapid Response Team carried out supportive supervision at the camp clinic and reinforced infection prevention and control measures.
“Health workers and corps members were educated on Lassa fever symptoms, the importance of early reporting, and preventive practices,” she added.
The epidemiologist also urged the public to ignore unverified social media reports and rely on information from official government sources.
Providing further clarification, the NYSC State Coordinator, Olaoluwa Onifade, said the corps member mentioned in the social media post had a pre-existing chronic condition.
He explained that the camp management contacted the corps member’s parent, who took her to an external health facility on February 1, 2026.
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According to Onifade, the corps member later passed away on February 7, 2026, outside the camp.
“No laboratory confirmation of Lassa fever had been reported to the Rapid Response Team at the time of the investigation,” he added.
“The investigation found no evidence of Lassa fever transmission within the NYSC camp, as there were no clusters of fever or symptoms suggestive of the disease among corps members,” Onifade said.
Speaking further, Environmental Health Officer Adamu Kabiru urged stronger sanitation and rodent control measures to reduce public health risks. He stressed the need for proper environmental hygiene, provision of sanitary dustbins, and discouraging bush burning near residential areas.
Similarly, State Health Promotion Officer Jubril Abdul Kareem educated corps members on Lassa fever symptoms, including body pain, headache, restlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting, and sore throat. He also highlighted preventive measures, such as avoiding contact with rats and storing food in covered containers.
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