Key facts
- US health experts consider the risk of Ebola arriving during the 2026 World Cup to be low but not zero.
- Over six million fans are expected to travel across Canada, Mexico, and the United States for the tournament.
- A dedicated team monitors disease signals and issues alerts for the World Cup, facing challenges due to the three-country format.
- Measles is a top concern, alongside other common infections and regional pathogens like dengue and mpox.
- Ebola's risk is deemed low due to its transmission methods and existing containment efforts.
- Wastewater monitoring is employed as an early-warning surveillance tool.
Health authorities are on high alert for potential infectious disease outbreaks during the 2026 World Cup, which will span Canada, Mexico, and the United States and is expected to draw over six million fans. While common threats like measles, gastrointestinal, and respiratory infections are being closely monitored, experts assess the risk of Ebola arriving from the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as low.
Rebecca Katz, co-lead of Georgetown University's Health Security Operations Center, highlighted the complexity of managing health risks across three countries and over 48 jurisdictions. Her team monitors disease signals, issues alerts, and tracks online health concerns. Despite the significant Ebola outbreak in the DRC, Katz stated that the transmission methods of Ebola and existing containment measures make it unlikely to pose a public threat during the tournament.
Preparedness efforts include enhanced training for US hospitals and specialized treatment centers. Wastewater monitoring, a tool that gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, is also being utilized as an early-warning system to detect any potential outbreaks before they escalate.