A review on current diagnostic tools and potential optical absorption spectroscopy for HFMD detection

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a common, highly contagious viral illness primarily affecting young children.
• Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a frequent cause of HFMD, often linked to severe neurological complications and fatalities.
• Current diagnostic methods, including physical examination and laboratory tests (viral culture, PCR), are time-consuming and may not offer rapid screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing diagnostic methods for HFMD.
• To discuss emerging sensing technologies for rapid and user-friendly HFMD detection.
• To propose optical absorption spectroscopy as a promising technique for early HFMD screening.

Main Methods:

• Review of current HFMD diagnostic approaches targeting nucleic acids, proteins, and whole viruses.
• Discussion of advanced sensing technologies: surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical sensors, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
• Critical analysis and proposal of optical absorption spectroscopy for HFMD detection.

Main Results:

• Existing diagnostic methods have limitations in speed and accessibility for early screening.
• Emerging technologies offer potential for faster and more sensitive detection of HFMD pathogens.
• Optical absorption spectroscopy shows promise as a cost-effective and user-friendly method for HFMD screening.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for rapid, inexpensive, and user-friendly diagnostic devices for early HFMD detection.
• Advanced sensing technologies are being developed to meet this need.
• Optical absorption spectroscopy presents a viable and promising approach for effective HFMD screening.