The Kwara State Government has said there is no recorded case of Lassa fever in the state, dismissing reports of alleged deaths at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp.

Naija News reports that the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mrs Hamdalat Sa’ad, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ilorin, noting that the State Rapid Response Team had debunked rumours circulating on social media.

According to her, claims that corps members died of Lassa fever at the NYSC orientation camp were untrue.

She explained that the clarification followed an immediate investigation led by the State Epidemiologist, Dr Kamaldeen Khadeejah, after a social media post alleged that corps members had died from suspected Lassa fever.

“The clarification followed an immediate investigation led by the State Epidemiologist, Dr Kamaldeen Khadeejah, after a social media post claiming that corps members had died from suspected Lassa fever at the camp,” she said.

“Findings from the field investigation and retrospective active case search revealed that no case of Lassa fever was identified among corps members and camp officials.”

Sa’ad added that although the public health risk remained low, authorities had intensified surveillance at the camp to ensure early detection and prompt response to any suspected illness.

She said the response team carried out supportive supervision at the camp clinic and reinforced infection prevention and control measures.

“Health workers and corps members were sensitised on Lassa fever symptoms, early reporting, and prevention strategies,” she added.

She urged residents to disregard unverified social media reports and rely on official sources for accurate information.

NYSC Confirms Cause Of Death

Also speaking, the NYSC State Coordinator, Olaoluwa Onifade, confirmed that the corps member referenced in the social media post was ill and diagnosed with a pre-existing chronic condition.

He said the camp management invited the corps member’s parents, who later took her to an external health facility where she died.

“No laboratory confirmation of Lassa fever has been reported to the RRT as of the time of the investigation,” Onifade said.

“The investigation found no evidence of Lassa fever transmission within the NYSC camp.

“There are no clusters of febrile illness or symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever among corps members.”

Meanwhile, data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) indicated a rise in Lassa fever cases across the country within the first three weeks of 2026.

The agency reported 405 suspected cases, with 39 confirmed infections and 17 deaths recorded.

Confirmed cases were reported in Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Benue and Nasarawa states.