Highly mutated Covid variant ‘BA.3.2’ aka ‘Cicada’ detected in US, 22 other countries

A newly identified Covid-19 variant with a high number of mutations has been detected across several countries, prompting close monitoring by global health experts, as per reports.

The variant, designated BA.3.2, has been identified in nearly half of the United States and at least 22 other countries, according to recent surveillance data.

Researchers have informally dubbed the strain ‘Cicada’, drawing parallels with the insect known for emerging after long dormant periods, as scientists believe the variant may have evolved undetected before appearing in genomic monitoring systems.

Preliminary analysis suggests BA.3.2 carries around 75 mutations, many of them located in the spike protein, which enables the virus to enter human cells and is the primary target of immune responses generated by vaccines or prior infections.

Experts reportedly said such mutations could influence transmissibility and the virus’s ability to evade immunity. Laboratory studies indicate the variant may have enhanced immune escape, although scientists stressed that more real-world data is needed to assess its full impact.

As per reports, the lineage was first detected in November 2024 in South Africa, but remained largely undetected for months before gradually appearing in surveillance systems during 2025 and early 2026.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, this pattern suggests the variant may have circulated at low levels before being identified through routine genomic sequencing.

BA.3.2 is a descendant of the BA.3 lineage, part of the Omicron family that circulated alongside earlier variants during the initial Omicron wave.

The first case in the US was detected in June 2025 in a traveller arriving at San Francisco from the Netherlands. Subsequent detections were made through airport screening programmes and wastewater surveillance, including early signals in Rhode Island before wider identification of clinical cases.

Health authorities said the first three confirmed patient cases in the US, recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, recovered without complications.

Officials added that there is currently no evidence to suggest that BA.3.2 causes more severe illness than previous variants.