The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) has cautioned food processors, garri production centres, and street food vendors across the state to adhere strictly to hygiene and waste management regulations or risk sanctions, as part of measures to prevent the spread of Lassa fever.

In a statement issued by its Press Secretary, Aliyu Jamiu Amode, the agency raised concerns over environmental practices that may increase the risk of the viral infection.

The General Manager of KWEPA, Jide Aina, explained that Lassa fever is often transmitted through contact with infected rodents or by consuming food contaminated with rodents' urine or faeces.

"Food handlers occupy a critical position in safeguarding public health, particularly in preventing contamination during food processing, storage, and sales," the statement read.

Aina instructed garri processing centres and other food production facilities to ensure that both raw materials and finished goods are kept in rodent-proof containers at all times.

He emphasised the importance of routine cleaning of processing equipment and facilities, alongside proper waste disposal to deter rodent infestation.

The agency also warned street food vendors against unsafe practices, including displaying or spreading food on bare ground, roadsides, or other exposed areas.

Vendors were advised to keep food covered, observe proper personal hygiene, wash hands frequently with soap and clean water, and dispose of refuse appropriately rather than dumping waste in drainage systems or public places.

"Key preventive measures include maintaining clean surroundings around business premises, using safe water for food preparation, and ensuring proper handling and disposal of food packaging materials," Aina stated.

He disclosed that the agency would step up routine inspections and enforcement operations across the state, adding that offenders would be sanctioned in accordance with environmental health laws.

"Ensuring proper hygiene and waste management is not optional; it is essential to protecting lives. Together, we can drastically reduce the risk of Lassa fever and promote a healthier Kwara State," he added.

Aina urged food business operators and residents to show collective responsibility in maintaining environmental sanitation, stressing that preventing Lassa fever demands proactive involvement from all stakeholders.

Meanwhile, it had earlier been reported that social media posts alleged that corps members at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Kwara State had died from Lassa fever.

The Kwara State Government, however, dismissed the claims, stating that no outbreak or confirmed case of the disease had been recorded at the camp.

"The state's Rapid Response Team (RRT), led by the State Epidemiologist, investigated the claims after rumours surfaced on February 8 and found no evidence of transmission or infection among corps members or camp officials," the government said in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Saad Hamdalat.

The NYSC State Coordinator, Olaoluwa Onifade, also clarified that the corps member referenced in the online reports had a pre-existing chronic condition and passed away at a health facility outside the camp, with no laboratory confirmation linking the death to Lassa fever.