Delhi Records 1,777 Swine Flu Cases Amid Surge Across All Age Groups

22 August 2026National

Delhi has recorded 1,777 confirmed swine flu cases, with hospitals reporting a spurt in illness across all age groups over the past two weeks. Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses, the most common subtypes being H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2. The H1N1 strain caused the 2009 pandemic, and H1N1, H3N2 and some Influenza B strains have circulated worldwide since. It spreads mainly through coughing and sneezing, or by touching a contaminated surface. Treatment is largely supportive — antibiotics do not work on viruses — while the antiviral oseltamivir, taken early, reduces severity.

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India has a quadrivalent influenza vaccine; annual immunisation is advised for those aged 60+ and the immunocompromised | The WHO, founded 7 April 1948, is headquartered in Geneva; World Health Day is 7 April | The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is based in New Delhi

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Bud Rot Outbreak Hits Coconut Palms in Tiptur Taluk of Karnataka's Tumakuru District

An outbreak of Bud Rot, a fatal coconut palm disease caused by the pathogen *Phytophthora palmivora*, has struck Tiptur taluk of Tumakuru district, Karnataka, affecting villages including Mattihalli, Hosahalli and Halkurike and parts of the Nonavinakere and Kasaba hoblis. The disease rots the terminal bud and surrounding tissue; once the growing point is destroyed the palm cannot recover and must be removed. Palms of all ages are susceptible, but young palms are the most vulnerable, and the infection spreads fastest in the high humidity of the monsoon. Tumakuru is one of Karnataka's biggest coconut-growing districts and Tiptur is a major copra trading centre.

GK ByteIndia is the world's largest coconut producer, with Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh the leading states | The Coconut Development Board was set up in 1981 and is headquartered at Kochi, Kerala | Phytophthora palmivora is an oomycete or water mould and also causes black pod disease in cocoa

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US Order Removing DeepSeek AI from Federal Civilian IT Systems Takes Effect on 20 October 2026

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GK ByteThe US Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002 after the 9/11 attacks and is headquartered at Washington, D.C. | The Federal Register is the official daily journal of the US federal government, and rules take legal effect on publication in it | DeepSeek is based at Hangzhou, China, and released its R1 model in January 2025

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Astronomers Identify WD J1330+6435, the First White Dwarf Found to Appear Chartreuse Green

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GK ByteA white dwarf is the dense remnant of a low- or medium-mass star that has exhausted its nuclear fuel; it is roughly Earth-sized and is held up against collapse by electron degeneracy pressure | The Chandrasekhar limit, about 1.4 solar masses, is the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf | Sirius B, the companion of Sirius, was the first white dwarf to be identified

📅 19 Oct 2026InternationalRead complete →

Samsung Semiconductor India Research and IISc Inaugurate Quantum Research Lab in Bengaluru

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