Post by APHL - Association of Public Health Laboratories

An estimated 6.5 million visitors from around the world are expected to travel through 11 US cities this summer as the country hosts 78 of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup games. And each one of those fans has the potential to spread any number of infectious diseases, some we’re familiar with, some we’re not. Are public health labs prepared? We spoke to four of them in host cities/regions and the answer was a resounding yes. “We don’t get ready, we stay ready,” emphasized Brandon Bonin, DrPH, laboratory director of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department Public Health Laboratory. Read more about the laboratories’ planning and preparations in our latest Lab Culture News article: https://buff.ly/eum9E5R