Overview
- Argentina’s national reference lab reported Tuesday that three cases of the SARS‑CoV‑2 sublineage BA.3.2 were identified from samples collected between April 26 and July 18, 2026.
- The samples came from residents of Provincia de Buenos Aires; scientists sequenced 21 genomes from that period and found three (14%) matched BA.3.2, one patient was hospitalized for preexisting comorbidities and all patients recovered.
- The Boletín Epidemiológico Nacional classifies BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring and states there is currently no evidence it causes more severe disease or a substantial additional public‑health risk.
- BA.3.2 descends from Omicron BA.3, was first detected in South Africa in November 2024, spread to at least 23 countries and reached near 20% of reported sequences in early 2026 before its global share declined by mid‑2026.
- Health authorities say the finding highlights the value of sustained genomic and wastewater surveillance to detect any future changes in transmissibility, severity, or immune escape that could affect testing or prevention measures.