health
Acting CDC Director Deflects Concern About Hantavirus Affecting World Cup
The Trump administration on Monday said it does not foresee a heightened risk of disease outbreaks at FIFA’s 2026 World Cup, as federal health officials sought to reassure the public that they have a handle on the deadly hantavirus.
TL;DR
- Federal health officials do not foresee a heightened risk of disease outbreaks, specifically hantavirus, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya stated the risk is no different than at previous World Cups.
- The U.S. has systems in place to respond to potential outbreaks.
- 18 passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak are under quarantine.
- Officials emphasized that hantavirus is not comparable to COVID-19 and the Andes variant does not spread easily.