World Cup creates perfect conditions for infectious diseases to spread – here are the biggest threats health experts are watching for

Respiratory diseases like measles and flu pose a much bigger threat to public health for the World Cup than does Ebola.

By: Andrés Henao, University of Colorado Anschutz, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 7, 2026

Words: 1,232

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Andrés Henao, University of Colorado Anschutz

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, 2026, matches will be played across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Millions of fans will arrive through multiple airports and will pack into stadiums, airports, hotels, bars and public transit systems over five weeks.

That makes the World Cup not just a sporting event but a weekslong experiment in global mixing that creates …

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