BRUSSELS — Health authorities have detected the SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2 in multiple European countries, with increased prevalence reported in parts of northern Europe, officials said on Tuesday.
The variant, sometimes referred to informally as "Cicada," was first identified in South Africa in November 2024. It has since been reported in at least 23 countries, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of mid-February 2026.
Detections rose notably from September 2025, with weekly shares reaching about 30% of sequenced samples in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands between November 2025 and January 2026, the CDC reported, citing national surveillance data. Overall COVID-19 incidence in those periods did not substantially exceed levels from previous years.
Health agencies in affected countries, including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), continue to monitor the variant as part of routine genomic surveillance. BA.3.2 carries a high number of mutations in the spike protein — approximately 70-75 relative to certain JN.1 lineage strains used in 2025-2026 vaccines — raising questions about potential immune escape, though current evidence indicates no additional public health risk compared with other circulating variants, according to WHO assessments referenced in surveillance reports.
"Continued genomic surveillance is needed to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health," the CDC stated in a March 2026 report.
The variant has been identified through clinical samples, traveler screening and wastewater monitoring. Early European detections included samples from the Netherlands in April 2025 and Germany shortly afterward. It has since appeared in other nations including Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to global sequence databases.
Authorities have not reported surges in hospitalizations or severe cases specifically linked to BA.3.2. It has cocirculated with other Omicron descendants without rapidly displacing them in most monitored areas.
As of late April 2026, the ECDC listed BA.3.2 among variants under monitoring. Global prevalence remains limited, with other lineages such as NB.1.8.1 and XFG accounting for larger shares of recent sequences in available data.
European health ministries and the WHO have advised continued vigilance through testing, sequencing and standard respiratory precautions. Vaccine manufacturers and advisory groups are evaluating updated formulations, though no immediate changes tied specifically to this variant have been announced.
Officials in Brussels and national capitals said surveillance efforts are ongoing, with further updates expected as more sequencing data becomes available in coming weeks. Details on exact case numbers in individual cities remain limited due to varying national reporting practices.
