Ebola risk for World Cup is 'extremely low', but US is ready, experts say

CHICAGO — The risk that a traveler infected with Ebola could arrive in the United States during the 2026 World Cup, which kicked off last week, is considered low but not zero, U.S. infectious disease experts say. If such a case were to occur, they add, American hospitals are now far better prepared to respond.

That was not always the case.

During the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan arrived at a Dallas hospital showing symptoms of the disease but was initially turned away before being admitted. Two nurses who treated him became infected, though both survived.

The incident triggered major reforms in U.S. preparedness, leading to roughly $260 million in federal funding for Ebola training and response capabilities, as well as the development of 13 specialized treatment centers across the country. These facilities were designed to help hospitals quickly identify, isolate, and safely care for suspected Ebola patients.

“We’re not going to be able to prevent 100% of infections, but we certainly are the most prepared that we have ever been,” said Dr. Gavin Harris, an expert in serious communicable diseases at Emory University, one of the 11 U.S. host cities for the tournament.

Public health officials and hospital systems in host cities have been preparing for a wide range of infectious disease threats as an estimated 6.5 million fans travel across North America during the 39-day tournament, which includes 104 matches in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pan American Health Organization, and the World Health Organization have all assessed the risk of Ebola spread at World Cup venues as low. They note that more common illnesses such as measles, COVID-19, and influenza—diseases that spread easily in large crowds—pose a greater likelihood of transmission during the event.

However, concern remains over an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has infected more than 675 people and killed over 135.

“The risk of Ebola to anyone at the World Cup is extremely low. Ebola isn’t airborne and does not spread through casual contact—it requires direct contact with bodily fluids of someone who is ill,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives and former CDC director.

“But low is not zero, and it will not be zero until the outbreak is stopped at its source in the DRC.”

Learning from the past

U.S. Ebola preparedness efforts that began in 2015 grew out of collaboration between Emory University, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue—facilities that treated Ebola patients during the West African outbreak, the largest in history.

“There was a recognition that we had a duty to train other facilities to recognize potential patients who might be exposed or sick with something like Ebola,” Harris said.

Since then, thousands of healthcare workers across the country have been trained to identify and manage patients with Ebola and other high-risk infectious diseases.

Ahead of the World Cup, preparedness experts have conducted nationwide training exercises simulating possible outbreak scenarios, including a potential MERS outbreak during the tournament. Physicians have also been issued updated guidance on diseases less common in the United States, such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya.

Host countries have implemented airport screening measures and travel restrictions targeting non-citizens with recent travel history to outbreak-affected regions. U.S. officials have also urged European partners to adopt similar measures, which experts say may further reduce the likelihood of Ebola reaching tournament venues.

In compliance with these restrictions, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national soccer team left the country in May and trained in Belgium before traveling to the United States.

In each host city, FIFA, local health authorities, and hospital systems have formed medical committees to assess infectious disease risks. These assessments consider team travel histories, disease prevalence in participating countries, visa rules, and stadium logistics.

Some venues have discussed deploying disease-specific treatments and protective equipment, while also expanding surveillance systems such as wastewater monitoring, air quality tracking, and electronic medical record analysis to detect unusual clusters of illness.

FIFA said medical risks are evaluated as part of overall tournament planning and managed closely with host cities, which appoint medical leaders to coordinate health services. It also confirmed it is monitoring the Ebola outbreak and remains in contact with authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the host countries.

Filling in the gaps

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said preparedness for mass gatherings is not new in the United States.

“State and local health departments working in conjunction with CDC have for many years been at the forefront of managing individuals coming into this country,” he said.

To strengthen coordination, Georgetown University has established an independent Health Security Operations Center working with more than 30 public and private sector organizations. More than 700 state and local health agencies, along with federal partners, FIFA, and the CDC, receive daily situation reports.

Still, experts warn that cuts to public health staffing, the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, and ongoing strain on local health departments—already stretched by a major measles outbreak—could affect response capacity.

“My biggest concern is whether a CDC that’s lost thousands of staff has the capacity, support, and mandate to move fast enough—both here and in the DRC,” Frieden said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not respond to requests for comment.

Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said recent cuts to public health programs have contributed to staffing losses across government agencies.

“Nonetheless, we know the people who are still there are working around the clock in many cases to try to keep us safe,” she said. -Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Additional reporting by Siddhi Mahatole and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Julien Pretot in New York; Editing by Caroline Humer and Rosalba O'Brien/Reuters