A comprehensive review of conventional techniques and biosensor systems developed for in situ detection of vibrio cholerae

Cholera is a global health problem causing up to 143,000 deaths every year. With the surge of suspected cholera cases exceeding 1.2 million in the largest ongoing worldwide humanitarian crisis since 2016, cholera has come to the fore as a global problem. Taking into consideration that the disease is mainly spread by contaminated water, there is a crucial need to ensure that water sources and food are not contaminated with toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, which is the pathogen that causes cholera disease. Determining if water sources are contaminated with the bacteria, and early diagnosis of suspected cholera cases are the two most important strategies to prevent the spread of this disease. However, plate culturing remains the gold standard for V. cholerae detection, which takes days to obtain results. Although molecular detection techniques are faster and more sensitive in detecting the bacteria, they require infrastructure and trained users that are not available in many situations. The field of biosensors is evolving away from sensing mechanisms to focus on the needs of healthcare providers and consumers. Medical professionals and industry care about using the best device for a specific problem more than how the instrument performs its function. Therefore, this review is organized by specific use cases and lists which analytical tools are currently available for each situation associated with Vibrio cholerae detection/monitoring and cholera disease diagnosis. We believe this format will help accelerate the translation of technology from the bench into products and provide insights about which areas require additional research.