Acting CDC director tamps down 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. 

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. 

“Of course, any time so many people are traveling, there’s always the possibility of various outbreaks or whatnot to happen,” Bhattacharya said. “But the risk is not any different than it is in other World Cups that we’ve managed properly. And the United States has systems in