Austin Public Health prepares for influx of travelers for FIFA World Cup

Hantavirus risk in Austin is low: APH

FOX 7 asked Austin Public Health about the risk of hantavirus in Austin and if it could turn into a pandemic like COVID. 

AUSTIN, Texas - The FIFA World Cup will kick off in less than a month, and while Austin isn't a host city for any official matches, Austin Public Health (APH) is preparing for an influx of travelers to the region. 

What they're saying:

"We're always in the background doing this. The big difference is anytime we know that we're going to see an increase in travelers, then we'll do enhanced monitoring," said Ana Urueta, emergency manager at Austin Public Health.

Some of the diseases they're keeping an eye on are measles, monkeypox, and hepatitis B.

"In measles, it's very contagious, and so that's something that we're monitoring very closely. We did have a confirmed measles case last week," Urueta said. "Anytime you see an increase in visitors or crowded places, there is a higher risk for greater transmission of disease."

The Saudi Arabian soccer team will be using Q2 Stadium as its training base camp. They'll have activities in Austin starting on June 1. Their final group stage match is scheduled for June 26 in Houston. How long they stay in Austin depends on how they advance in the tournament.

APH is working with health care providers, so they're ready for possible increases in demand from the increase of visitors to Austin.

"If we do see any emerging public health threats, then we'll quickly communicate through our provider community to let them know what we're seeing," Urueta said.

Dig deeper:

APH monitors hospital visits to see if there's an uptick in any disease. They also look at social media to see if people at an event are posting about being sick. 

APH is also planning to use special event air monitoring.

"It's a program that's been in place for quite some time in Austin and nationwide, and it's a good tool for us to monitor to see if there's anything different in the air that we will be able to detect," Urueta said.

Other health hazards can include heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. 

"We know a lot of people might not be familiar with the extreme heat like we tend to see here in Austin," Urueta said.

The city also plans to put out messaging about heat safety at points of entry like the airport. 

FOX 7 also asked APH about the risk of hantavirus in Austin and if it could turn into a pandemic like COVID. 

"The risk of hantavirus in Austin is low. This particular organism requires us to stay in close contact with somebody who has been infected with the virus. We don't have anybody here in Austin that we've been reported by the state to be exposed to or sick of with that virus, so at this point it's low," Heather Cooks-Sinclair, epidemiology and disease surveillance unit manager at Austin Public Health said. "This virus has been in existence for quite some time. It's been in South America, as it's called the Andes strain. It is down in South America. This isn't something that transmits person-to-person nearly as readily as COVID did."

To lower your risk of transmitting any disease, wash your hands, stay home if you're sick, and be up-to-date on your vaccines.