Spectroscopic Methods for the Detection of Microbial Pathogens and Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases—An Updated Overview

Microbial pathogens cause a quarter of all deaths worldwide annually due to deadly
infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the fast and precise identification of pathogens remains one of the
most challenging tasks in the medical sector. Early identification and characterization of microbes
through medical diagnosis could pave the way for specific treatment strategies that could
dramatically improve infection management, reduce healthcare costs, mitigate increasing
antimicrobial resistance, and save numerous lives. To date, numerous traditional and molecular
methods have been employed to diagnose illnesses with proven accuracy, reliability, and efficiency.
Here, we have reviewed the most reliable tools that are prerequisites for the rapid detection of
microbes. In particular, the remarkable roles of surface-enhanced Raman scaering, Fouriertransform infrared, electrochemical impedance, near-infrared, and MALDI-TOF/TOF in the
identification and characterization of pathogenic microbes are discussed in detail. The approaches described herein cover broad ranges of biomedical applications, including the diagnosis of clinical infectious diseases, epidemiology, detection of vector-borne diseases, food security, phytosanitary monitoring, biosensing, and food- and waterborne pathogen detection. Considering the current
pandemic outbreak, this review briefly emphasizes the importance of rapid detection and upgraded tools for early diagnosis to prevent the loss of lives.