Kwara State authorities have dismissed claims of a Lassa fever outbreak at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, describing reports circulating on social media as false.
Mrs Hamdalat Sa’ad, Press Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Health, clarified on Tuesday in Ilorin that the State Rapid Response Team (RRT) found no evidence of the disease following a thorough investigation.
The inquiry was prompted by social media posts alleging that corps members had died from suspected Lassa fever at the camp.
“The State Epidemiologist, Dr Kamaldeen Khadeejah, led an immediate investigation after the claims surfaced online,” Sa’ad explained. “Field investigations and retrospective active case searches confirmed that no Lassa fever cases were identified among corps members or camp officials.”
Despite the low public health risk, Sa’ad noted that surveillance has been intensified at the camp to enable early detection and swift response to any suspected illness. The response team has conducted supportive supervision at the camp clinic and strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
Health workers and corps members have received training on recognizing Lassa fever symptoms, the importance of early reporting, and prevention strategies.
Sa’ad urged the public to ignore unverified social media reports and rely solely on information from official government sources.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Olaoluwa Onifade, confirmed that the corps member mentioned in the viral social media post had been diagnosed with a pre-existing chronic illness. Camp management contacted her parents, who transferred her to an external health facility where she later died.
“No laboratory confirmation of Lassa fever has been reported to the RRT,” Onifade stated. “Our investigation found no evidence of Lassa fever transmission within the NYSC camp and no clusters of febrile illness or symptoms consistent with the disease among corps members.”
While Kwara State remains free of confirmed cases, Nigeria has experienced increased Lassa fever activity in early 2026. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 405 suspected cases nationwide within the first three weeks of the year, with 39 confirmed cases and 17 deaths across Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Benue, and Nasarawa states.
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