Ebola and the 2026 World Cup: Is it a risk for Mexico?

Does the Ebola virus represent a risk to Mexico due to the arrival of African fans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? 

Currently, there is international epidemiological surveillance due to an active outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) in active transmission zones reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The organization has declared that the high-risk zone remains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, countries where cases have occurred, while it maintains a low risk level for the rest of the world, including Mexico. 

However, due to the speed with which this disease can spread, Mexico, the United States, and Canada will be taking precautionary measures because of the mobility levels expected for the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held from June to July. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo team will be playing at the Guadalajara Stadium during the group phase of the 2026 World Cup. There, this African team will be playing against Colombia on June 23. 
 

The Ebola virus causes a disease characterized by a very severe, acute hemorrhagic fever, which receives its name from the river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it was isolated for the first time. 

“The Ebola virus is a filovirus, of which six species are known. Four cause a hemorrhagic fever in humans and three have caused outbreaks: Sudan, Zaire, and Bundibugyo, the latter of which is the cause of the current outbreak”, explained Dr. Gloria Aguirre,an infectious disease specialist at TecSalud.  

Bundibugyo is severe viral infection that is transmitted through direct contact with blood, secretions, or objects contaminated with the bodily fluids of infected people. 

Individual risk depends on the recent history of travel, stay, or exposure in zones with active transmission, as well as contact with infected people or contaminated materials. 

The TecSalud specialist said that the virus’s reproduction rate is estimated to be 1.5 to 3.  

“This means that an infected person can transmit the virus to 1.5 to 3 uninfected people”. 

Although transmission is not that fast, the real issue with this disease is the mortality rate, said the specialist. 

“The issue is not its transmissibility, which is relatively low compared with other viruses, but its high mortality rate, as one in three people infected die. 

This specialist explained that there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine for the Bundibugyo variant. 

“Although there’s a vaccine for the Zaire species, there isn’t for Bundibugyo”, she added. 

During Mexico’s presidential press conference on May 26, Federal Health Secretary David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz said that precautionary measures will be taken although cases of Ebola have not been reported in the country. 

He said this due to the mobility of people expected during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey from June 11 to July 19. 

“No cases have been reported in Mexico, and the risk of propagation is low at the moment around the world, very low for our country”, said the health secretary. 

The measures that Mexico will take include an epidemiological surveillance protocol in coordination with the United States and Canada. 

What’s more, there will be health checkpoints at international airports, preventive measures, and review of passengers’ documents and itineraries. 

The Federal Secretariat of Health issued a preventive travel advisory and information for people traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. 

Moreover, the Mexican authorities have announced a temporary 60-day ban on entry to people from abroad who have stayed in or traveled through Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan in the last 21 days.