Ebola triggers fears over public health ahead of World Cup travel surge |
Ebola triggers fears over public health ahead of World Cup travel surge
A recent outbreak of Ebola cases in Africa is sparking fresh concern from public health officials in the United States about the spread of communicable diseases ahead of next month’s World Cup.
The tournament will be played in more than a half-dozen cities across North America and is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the continent.
While U.S. health officials insist a major outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. is highly unlikely, the matches and large crowds they will bring is leading to a fresh wave of worry about the spread of disease.
The U.S. State Department, in conjunction with Canada and Mexico, acknowledged the Ebola outbreak in Africa as it announced what it called new aligned health measures for individuals coming from the region “at greatest risk” from the virus.
“This coordinated approach aims to protect our citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup 2026, while maintaining travel and commerce across our borders,” the governments said in a joint statement. “The health and safety of every person in the region remains our highest priority as we welcome the world to North America.”
The measures came as President Trump’s administration has sought to crack down on international travelers and continues to take steps to ensure Americans infected or exposed to the Ebola virus remain overseas.
“It’s pretty reasonable to assume we’re not well prepared to handle anything like this,” Glen Nowak, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official and infectious disease expert, told The Hill. “There’s been a lot of things that have happened in public health that have weakened the system. There are more divides in red states versus blue states in terms of their approach to public health these days, so we’re not prepared if there were some sort of large-scale outbreak.”
This summer’s World Cup will be just the second played since the coronavirus pandemic killed millions of people around the world.
Ebola and hantavirus, two diseases that have popped up in various locations around the globe in recent weeks, are much less easily spread than COVID, health experts have said.
But there are still major questions about the safety of travelers coming to watch soccer matches in North America.
The news outlet DW Africa........