The 2026 World Cup is here, and so are the germs. This virus is experts’ No. 1 concern |
The 2026 World Cup is here, and so are the germs. This virus is experts’ No. 1 concern
An Ebola outbreak isn’t the main worry for infectious disease experts.
Georgetown University’s Rebecca Katz points to waste water data looking at infectious diseases at Georgetown’s Health Security Operations Center in Washington on June 3, 2026. [Photo: Shelby Lum/AP Photo]
While millions of soccer fans cheer or groan over World Cup matches spanning North America, health officials will be on high alert for germs.A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinize wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing.Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, is among the top concerns, sparking a warning this week from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO. With a nearly six-week stretch of packed stadiums, bars and tourist sites in 16 cities, officials are on the lookout for a long list of infections, from the stomach bug norovirus to mosquito-borne dengue fever.“This is truly a marathon,” said Palak Raval-Nelson, Philadelphia’s health commissioner.The mass gatherings come at a tense moment for budget-strapped health agencies in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hit hard by Trump administration staffing cuts, already was grappling with a growing Ebola outbreak in central Africa and a cruise ship hantavirus outbreak. While CDC officials have advised state and local health departments behind the scenes, its expected World........