AP
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Health officials will be on high alert for germs as millions of soccer fans gather for World Cup matches. A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and is a top concern. But with weeks of matches spread across sites in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, officials are on the lookout for a long list of possible infections. They'll use a variety of tools, including sophisticated wastewater tests and tracking hospital and doctor visits, to sound an alarm if there's any concern an outbreak is brewing.

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FILE - Lauren Ellenburg, a nurse, prepares a combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for a patient at Tiger Pediatrics in Easley, S.C., March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

AP
  • Updated

Georgetown University's Rebecca Katz points to measles data for the country at Georgetown's Health Security Operations Center in Washington on June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)