The FIFA World Cup, which started on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City, has raised plenty of questions. But a team of scientists has been working on a different question the past few months: Just how many dangerous viruses, bacteria, and parasites are likely to hitch a ride when more than 1 million fans arrive, many from countries that have diseases rare or unknown in North America? And which ones should U.S. health authorities worry about?

Their answer, posted as a preprint on 1 June: Relax (mostly). Most infectious diseases are unlikely to cause problems at the World Cup at all. There may be additional cases for some, including influenza, tuberculosis, and malaria, but given the many millions of travelers that already arrive in the United States every year, the soccer fest does not pose major additional disease risks, says epidemiologist Alessandro Vespignani of Northeastern University, who led the study.

Source https://www.science.org/content/article/will-world-cup-kick-disease-outbreaks

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