Peer Reviewed Electronic ISSN: 3079-2959
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Six ethical domains within the One Health framework for emerging infectious diseases.
Open Access Pages: 1-16

Ethical Challenges and Considerations in One Health Approaches to Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Descriptive Review

Shoaib Shafqat, Zahid Shahbaz, Rahmeen Ajaz, Hafiz Shaheer Ahmad
Abstract

The One Health framework has emerged as a central paradigm for addressing emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) by recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Despite increasing global adoption, the ethical dimensions of One Health remain conceptually fragmented and inconsistently operationalized across research, governance, and policy. This descriptive review synthesizes ethical challenges associated with One Health approaches to EIDs across six interrelated domains: animal ethics and welfare, public health ethics, environmental and planetary ethics, governance and policy, research ethics in outbreak settings, and emerging ethical frameworks. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and conceptual scholarship, the review identifies four major cross-cutting ethical tensions. First, anthropocentric priorities continue to dominate One Health implementation, subordinating animal welfare and ecological integrity to human-centered outcomes. Second, tensions between collective welfare and individual rights become acute during outbreaks, imposing disproportionate burdens on marginalized populations. Third, persistent distributive, procedural, and epistemic injustices shape global and local responses, especially affecting low- and middle-income countries, indigenous communities, and non-human populations. Fourth, a substantial implementation gap exists between the articulation of ethical principles and their translation into enforceable institutional practice. The review further incorporates emerging ethical challenges related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within One Health contexts, empirical evidence from major outbreaks including COVID-19, Ebola, and avian influenza, and perspectives from Global South scholarship to address equity dimensions. Emerging frameworks, including One Health Ethics, Planetary Health Ethics, ethics of care, indigenous relational ethics, and epistemic justice approaches, offer promising foundations for more inclusive governance, yet remain insufficiently integrated into operational decision-making. The review argues that One Health ethics must evolve into a rigorous interdisciplinary field supported by practical governance tools, equitable research frameworks, transparent accountability mechanisms, and inclusive policymaking. Without such developments, the transformative potential of One Health will remain ethically and institutionally constrained. 

Graphical Abstract
Open Access Pages: 1-17

From probiotics to fermentation: A review of microbes in food and supplements

Ijaz Usman Ali, Sibgha Tul Fatima, Hina Naz, Ahmad Waheed
Abstract

Microorganisms have a crucial role in processing food and preservation, as well as enhancing the nutritional and sensory qualities of food products. Microorganisms are utilized as additives for altering the nature of a substance and have a significant role in fermentation. Molds (e.g., Penicillium roqueforti and Geotrichum candidum), yeasts (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and lactic acid bacteria are used to increase the shelf life of foodstuffs and the nutritional quality of processed foods in the fermentation process. Acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria are used in applied microbiology to increase the flavor of different manufactured foods. Further, bacteria, in the form of probiotics, are involved in the processing of food. Various strains of different bacteria are used as probiotics to increase the quality and preservation of foodstuffs. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are used to produce prebiotics and postbiotics as well. This article discusses the many ways that microorganisms may be added to food and supplements such as probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and symbiotics in order to fulfill the world's food demand and make up for the scarcity of arable land. It also discusses the future prospects and challenges of this field.