Epidemiological surveillance and mass events: lessons learned ahead of the 2026 FIFATM World Cup
Main Article Content
Keywords
Mass Casualty Incidents, Epidemiological Monitoring, Public Health, World Cup, Measles, Diarrhea
Abstract
Abstract
The FIFA World Cup™ 2026 in Mexico will be a major public health challenge worldwide. Large gatherings can facilitate the spread of diseases, raise the number of cardiovascular emergencies caused by stress, and require careful monitoring of vaccine-preventable illnesses, particularly given ongoing concerns about measles and pertussis. This editorial article reviews lessons learned from past events and highlights the need to improve food safety, mental health support, and active disease surveillance. The healthcare system’s success will depend on how well it can respond and plan to manage the risks that come with people traveling from around the world.
References
1. World Health Organization. Public health for mass gatherings: key considerations. Geneva: WHO; 2015. Disponible en: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/162106
2. Wilbert-Lampen U, Leistern D, Greven S, Pohl T, Sper S, et al. Cardiovascular events during World Cup soccer. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:475-83. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0707427
3. Las altas temperaturas obligaron al "cooling break" en Brasil. INFOBAE. 29 de junio de 2014. Disponible en: https://www.infobae.com/2014/06/29/1576903-las-altas-temperaturas-obligaron-al-cooling-break-brasil/
4. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2024. Mass gathering events and comunicable diseases - Considerations for public health authorities – 14 June 2024. ECDC: Stockholm; 2024. Disponible en: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Mass-gathering-events-and-communicable-diseases-June-2024.pdf
5. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Risk assessment: Who is at risk of measles in the EU/EEA? Stockholm: ECDC; 2019. Disponible en: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/risk-assessment-who-risk-measles-eueea
6. Mehrotra P, Mathew T, Trulik KG, et al. Sports fever! Getting the ball rollingt o prevent infections at the World Cup™ and beyond. Antimicrob. Steward. Healthc. Epidemiol. 2026;6, e61:1–7.
7. DuPont HL. Diarrheal diseases in the traveler. Role of the World Cup in identifying risk. Am J Epidemiol. 1986;124(3):475-80. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114420
8. Hall AJ, Lopman BA, Payne DC, et al. Norovirus disease in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2013 Aug;19(8):1198-205. doi: 10.3201/eid1908.130465.
9. Dirección General de Epidemiología. Boletín informativo No. 4 Situación epidemiológica de sarampión en México. Semana epidemiológica 13. 04 de abril 2025. Disponible en: https://www.gob.mx/salud/documentos/informe-diario-del-brote-de-sarampion-en-mexico-2026
10. Dirección General de Epidemiología. Informe diario - abril 29 del 2026. Disponible en: https://www.gob.mx/salud/documentos/informe-diario-del-brote-de-sarampion-en-mexico-2026
11. Secretaría de Salud (México). Aviso Epidemiológico: Sarampión. Ciudad de México: CONAVE; 2024. Disponible en: https://www.gob.mx/salud/documentos/avisos-epidemiologicos-2024
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). Travelers Health/Mexico. Disponible en: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/mexico
13. Goverment of Canada. Mexico travel advice. Disponible en: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/mexico#health
14. Bullock M, Ranse J, Hutton A. Impact of Patients Presenting with Alcohol and/or Drug Intoxication on In-Event Health Care Services at Mass-Gathering Events: An Integrative Literature Review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018 Oct;33(5):539-542. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X1800078X. Epub 2018 Sep 13
15. Potin M, Carron PN, Genton B. Injuries and medical emergencies among international travellers, J. Travel Med, 2024; 31(1) https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taad088
16. Mental Health Foundation. A guide to managing difficult feelings around world events. Disponible en: https://mentalhealth.org.nz/wellbeing-hub/managing-difficult-feelings-around-world-events
Article Sidebar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors retain their copyright and grant the Revista Médica del IMSS the right of first publication. Articles are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which allows sharing as long as the author and the original source are properly credited.