As the world faces an escalating protein crisis amid climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity, edible insects have emerged as a transformative solution for sustainable food and feed systems. With over 2000 known edible species, insects offer a nutrient‐rich alternative to conventional livestock, providing protein levels between 30% and 85%, essential amino acids, beneficial fats, and bioavailable micronutrients often exceeding those found in meat or fish. Compared to traditional farming, edible insect production emits up to 100 times fewer greenhouse gases and requires 50%–90% less land and water, aligning closely with global circular bioeconomy goals. Economically, the global edible insect protein market was valued at USD 483.1 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 2 billion by 2030. Yet, large‐scale adoption faces critical barriers, including cultural resistance, food safety concerns, and fragmented regulatory landscapes. Risks such as microbial contamination, allergenicity, and heavy metal accumulation demand stringent food safety protocols and harmonized international standards. Meanwhile, innovations in AI‐assisted farming, CRISPR‐based breeding, and automated processing are rapidly enhancing production efficiency, though further investment and validation are required. This review provides an overview of the nutritional, environmental, economic, technological, and safety dimensions of insects as food and feed. It also explores consumer perceptions and policy frameworks shaping adoption trends worldwide. By bridging current knowledge gaps and scaling inclusive innovation, edible insects hold immense promise for building resilient, ethical, and climate‐smart food systems for the future.

In many developing countries, where rabies is prevalent among dog populations, humans are at risk of contracting the disease. Recent reports from Nepal suggest that around 30,000 cases of pet and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year, with the highest risk being in the Terai, although these numbers may be underestimated. Knowledge and practices related to rabies prevention are crucial in combating the disease. However, there is not enough data on the understanding and preventive measures of rabies among the local population in Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices regarding rabies prevention among the people of Bharatpur-12, Chitwan, Nepal. The study, conducted in February 2022, involved a cross-sectional survey of 271 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for one-on-one interviews. Among the surveyed respondents, a significant proportion (81.50%; n = 221/271) correctly understood rabies is zoonotic disease. Furthermore, 73.10% (n = 198/271) could correctly identify the animals susceptible to rabies, while 39.9% (n = 108/271) knew the causative agent. Additionally, 46.5% accurately listed the modes of transmission, and a majority (86.70%; n = 235/271) recognized the signs and symptoms of rabies in animals and humans. Overall, 42.06% (n = 114/271) of the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge. Out of the 271 respondents, 22.9% (n = 62) owned pets, and 39.11% (n = 106) reported incidents of animal bites within their families, with dog bites being the most commonly mentioned (92.46%; n = 98/106). The majority (81.14%; n = 86/106) sought treatment on the same day as the incident occurred. About half of them (50%; n = 53/106) cleaned the wound with soap and water, while a small percentage (5.66%; n = 6/106) relied on traditional medicine as immediate first aid after an animal bite. The level of knowledge was found to be associated with gender (p = 0.04), educational status (p = 0.05), and family monthly income (p = 0.007). These findings highlight the importance of educating the community in Nepal about rabies control and prevention measures and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. Raising awareness about health-seeking behavior and community members’ role in controlling, preventing, and eliminating rabies is crucial.

Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure of COVID-19 available at present, but its success depends on the global accessibility of vaccines and the willingness of people to be vaccinated. As the vaccination rollouts are increasing worldwide, it is important to assess public perception and willingness towards vaccination, so that the aim of mass vaccination will be successful. This study aimed to understand public perception towards COVID-19 vaccines and their willingness to get vaccinated in Nepal. This cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1196 residents of Nepal in August 2021; most of the participants of this online survey were young adults (18–47 years) with university-level education. A total of 64.5% (771/1196) of the participants perceived COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and risk-free, while 68.6% (820/1196) agreed that vaccination would be efficient in the fight against this pandemic. Most of the participants (841/1196, 70.3%) disagreed that people are getting COVID-19 vaccines easily in Nepal, while they agree with the prioritization of older adults and healthcare workers for vaccination. A total of 61.1% (731/1196) of the participants had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Among the unvaccinated, 93.3% (434/465) were willing to get vaccinated when their turn came. The higher confidence of younger adults in vaccines and the vaccination process is encouraging, as that can help educate others who are hesitant or are not positive towards the idea of receiving vaccines. Dissemination of correct and current information, acquisition of enough doses of vaccines, and equitable distribution of vaccines will be required to achieve successful completion of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Nepal.

Background and Aim: One Health (OH) is a collaborative, multisectoral, and holistic approach for the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases affecting animals and humans. In Nepal, the OH concept remains rudimentary. However, the recently formed "One Health Strategy" is a ray of hope. Veterinary students are the future of animal health, a major component of OH. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and perception of Nepalese veterinary students toward OH. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among veterinary students in all four veterinary colleges in Nepal to obtain knowledge on OH and zoonotic disease and understand the perception of the benefits of OH obtained using an online survey tool through a convenience sampling technique. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 333 participants, including recent graduates (mean age: 22.3±2.2 years) participated in this study. The mean knowledge score was 19.8±3.8 and about half of the respondents, 185 (55.6%) demonstrated satisfactory scores on OH. Most of the respondents have a positive perception of the benefits of OH as participants largely agreed that the OH approach needs to become a regular, routine, and institutionalized process at the project, program, and policy levels; is useful in addressing complex challenges that threaten human and animal health, food security, poverty, and the environments where diseases flourish; and it creates added value in terms of human and animal health, financial savings or social and environmental benefits from closer professional cooperation. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age, educational, and academic levels were significant factors influencing satisfactory knowledge on OH among respondents. Conclusion: Nepalese veterinary students demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of OH and a good level of perception of the benefits of OH. An apprehensive understanding of the current status of the OH approach in Nepal through studies like this is crucial for the future improvement of public and animal health.

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) of subtype H9 outbreaks have been frequently occurring in major commercial hubs of Nepal including Chitwan, a central lowland area, causing substantial economic losses to the farmers. However, the risk factors associated with these outbreaks have been poorly understood, and hence, this case-control study was conducted in Chitwan, Nawalpur, and Makawanpur districts of Nepal from October 2019 to March 2020. A total of 102 farms were selected in which 51 were case farms, and 51 were controls. Case farms were avian influenza (AI)-subtype-H9-confirmed farms through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays on poultry samples. Control farms included farms that were AI-negative in the antigen test brought to the National Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory, Chitwan, for diagnosis during the study period. Each farm was visited to collect information using a semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 25 variables representing farm characteristics and biosecurity measures were considered as potential risk factors. The final multivariable model showed that distance of less than 0.5 km from the main road (OR = 4.04, 95% CI = 1.20–13.56, p = 0.023), distance of less than 1 km from a nearest infected farm (OR = 76.42, 95% CI = 7.17–814.06, p = 0.0003), and wild birds coming around the farm (OR = 6.12, 95% CI = 1.99–18.79, p = 0.0015) were risk factors for avian influenza type H9, whereas using apron or separate cloth inside the shed (OR = 0.109, 95% CI = 0.020–0.577, p = 0.0092) was shown to reduce the risk of farms being positive for AI subtype H9. These findings suggest that due consideration should be given to site selection while establishing the farms and the importance of implementing appropriate biosecurity measures, such as using separate cloth inside the shed and preventing the entry of wild birds inside the farm to reduce the potential risk of introduction of avian influenza type H9 to their poultry farms.

A total of 450 day-old straight-run Ross 308 broiler chickens were offered nine dietary regimes where canola products primarily replaced soybean meal at varying levels in iso-energetic diets with balanced amino acid profiles. Each of the nine dietary treatments was offered to ten replicate cages, with five birds per cage from 1 to 42 days post-hatch. During the starter period (1-10 d), there was no significant dietary impact on feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P > 0.05) and transition of canola product inclusion from 0 to 50 g/kg did not influence weight gain but transition from 50 to 100 g/kg depressed weight gain by 2.17 % (317 versus 323 g/kg, P = 0.049). From 1-24, 1-35 and 1-42 days post-hatch, canola products inclusions depressed feed intake and weight gain (P > 0.05) compared to canola products-free diet. Dietary treatments did not influence FCR for 1-42 days post-hatch. Based on pair-wise comparisons diets containing the highest canola product inclusions (Treatment 9) reduced feed intake by 6.90 % (5673 vs. 5281 g/bird, P= 0.011) and body weight gain (BWG) by 7.11 % (3727 vs. 3462 g/bird, P= 0.004) compared to canola product-free diet. Negative correlations between feed intake and pellet durability index (PDI) were detected in the finisher (r = -0.887, P = 0.001) and withdrawal phases (r = -0.869, P = 0.002). Dietary treatments did not influence carcass traits (P > 0.05). Apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen retention, and AME_n were not affected by dietary treatments. However, diets with canola products exhibited a lower AME:GE ratio compared to canola-free diets (P = 0.045). There were no significant differences in apparent starch and protein digestibility coefficients in the distal jejunum and distal ileum (P > 0.05). In conclusion, since there were no significant changes in FCR and nutrient digestibility coefficients with the inclusion of canola products, it is fair to argue that depression of growth performance in broiler chicken offered diets containing high inclusion rates of canola products is likely due to a reduction in feed intake.