A new SARS-CoV-2, a COVID variant, BA.3.2, has been detected in 23 countries since it was first identified in South Africa in November 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. The strain, nicknamed the «cicada» variant, saw rising detections from September 2025.
The CDC monitors COVID-19 variants globally through digital public health surveillance. Since the start of the pandemic, new variants with changes to the spike protein have regularly emerged. Mutations in this protein can influence how easily the virus spreads and how well it evades immunity, prompting periodic updates to COVID-19 vaccines.
BA.3.2 represents a «new lineage» of SARS-CoV-2, described as «highly divergent» and genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages circulating in the United States since January 2024.
The first BA.3.2 sequence was collected from a nasopharyngeal swab from a five-year-old boy in South Africa on November 22, 2024, later designated BA.3.2.1.
Detections increased from September 2025, peaking during the week of December 7. As of 11 February 2026, BA.3.2 has been identified in travellers returning to the U.S. from Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, and the UK, and in regions across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.
From November 2025 to January 2026, BA.3.2 made up around 30% of COVID-19 sequences in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Despite its spread, it has not caused a major rise in overall COVID-19 cases compared with previous years.
The CDC cautioned that limited genomic surveillance in many countries means the true extent of BA.3.2 may be underestimated. The variant appears capable of evading antibodies, likely due to spike protein mutations, underscoring the need for ongoing genomic monitoring and evaluation of vaccine effectiveness.
While widespread immunity from infection and vaccination has mitigated severe outcomes, the CDC reported that the 2024–25 respiratory virus season still caused an estimated 390,000–550,000 hospitalisations and 45,000–64,000 deaths. The agency warned that the cicada variant could contribute to seasonal increases in COVID-19 activity, highlighting the importance of timely responses to emerging variants.
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