Newsletter: Ateneo biologists warn against new alien fish in Laguna de Bay

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A striking, silver-colored fish commonly kept as an aquarium pet has been hiding in plain sight in the Philippines’ largest freshwater lake, renewing concerns over the unmonitored and unmitigated release of alien species into the country’s already strained ecosystems. 

Newsletter: UP Biologists Investigate Multidrug-resistant Salmonella in Chicken

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Biologists from the University of the Philippines Diliman – College of Science, Institute of Biology (UPD-CS IB) call for further and more in-depth surveillance of foodborne pathogens like the bacterium Salmonella in poultry products. Infections caused by Salmonella typically result in symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and sometimes vomiting, which usually appear 6 to 72 hours after ingestion of Salmonella, and can last 2-7 days.

Newsletter: Venomous Jellyfish Found in PH Waters, Biologists Confirm

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Box jellyfishes are known for their distinctive box-like appearance and their potent venom, which can cause severe stings and fatalities. In the Philippines, many coastal communities are well aware of the dangers posed by box jellyfishes, but Filipino scientists noted that the government does not have a systematic plan to address this issue.

Preserved specimen of C. yamaguchii. (Photo credit: Boco et al., 2025)

Based on previous studies by marine researchers, a team of biologists hypothesized that Chironex yamaguchii, a dangerous species of box jellyfish known from Japan, is also present in Philippine waters. This box jellyfish was found to cause severe stings and even fatalities in the Indo-Pacific and Western Pacific regions. Their tentacles can inflict extreme pain, cause skin injuries with welts, and even trigger heart attacks and death.