Overview
- The Ministry of Health and ANLIS Malbrán reported in the Boletín Epidemiológico Nacional on Sept. 8 that three BA.3.2 infections were identified from samples collected between April 26 and July 18, 2026.
- All three patients were residents of Provincia de Buenos Aires and recovered; one required hospitalization that officials attributed to preexisting comorbidities.
- The result came from sequencing 21 genomes, of which three (14%) were BA.3.2, a small sample that limits what can be concluded about wider spread in Argentina.
- WHO classifies BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring because it carries multiple spike mutations with lab evidence of immune evasion, but current data show no clear increase in severity and health authorities recommend continued surveillance and vaccination for high‑risk people.
- BA.3.2 was first seen in South Africa in November 2024 and was detected in more than 20 countries in early 2026 before its global share fell to about 6.5% by mid‑July; Argentina’s detection highlights the role of routine genomic monitoring and the need to watch hospitalizations, deaths and variant share for any change.