As The Largest World Cup Ever Kicks Off, Health Officials Are Focused on More Than Ebola

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to host millions of visitors across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, public health agencies are expanding surveillance and response efforts to monitor potential disease threats.

While the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa has drawn attention, experts cited in the article assess the risk of widespread Ebola transmission during the tournament as low. Greater concern centers on highly contagious diseases such as measles, COVID-19, and influenza, which can spread rapidly through large, mobile crowds.

Host cities are strengthening wastewater monitoring, hospital coordination, and disease detection systems ahead of the event. Read more from CNBC here.