Acting CDC director tamps down concern about hantavirus affecting World Cup

Published May 12, 2026 1:18pm ET | Updated May 12, 2026 1:18pm ET



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

Jay Bhattacharya, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the risk of disease outbreak at the games this year “is not any different than it is in other World Cups,” in an interview with CBS News. His comments come as cases of hantavirus have been scattered across the world, and traced to the United States, with three deaths linked to the virus. 

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