The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has launched a new Travel & Health webpage to help health care and public health partners prepare for increased domestic and international travel tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Kansas City is expected to see a surge in visitors during the tournament, raising the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, including illnesses rarely seen in Kansas. State health officials are urging clinicians to routinely consider recent travel when evaluating patients.
“With the World Cup approaching, early recognition starts with asking about travel,” KDHE Deputy Secretary for Public Health Ashley Goss said. “This new webpage gives providers a central resource to quickly access guidance and stay prepared for travel-related disease risks.”
The Travel & Health webpage includes current travel health notices, disease-specific reporting and testing information, infection prevention and control resources for health care facilities, and provider training webinars focused on domestic and international infectious diseases.
KDHE said additional tools will be added in the coming weeks, including expanded training webinars, a clinical support dashboard allowing clinicians to search outbreaks and endemic diseases by country, and a Kansas-specific dashboard tracking emergency department visits and wastewater surveillance data.
State officials said the new resources are designed to support early detection, timely reporting and coordinated response as Kansas prepares for increased travel and mass gatherings associated with the World Cup.