Trends in biosensors for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus as a key cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide

In human history, numerous infectious diseases have emerged and reemerged threatening countries worldwide, due to agents of different sources, from bacteria to viruses, fungi, protozoa, helminths, and prions. Among them, bacterial infection is gaining huge attention due to their antibiotic-resistance, which leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. As stated by World Health Organization, "antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases." Among bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus can represent an urgent medical problem due to its growing frequency and associated poor outcomes. Compounding this concern is the increasing S. aureus resistance to antibiotics such as methicillin and vancomycin. For this reason, there is a pressing need not only for novel treatment strategies but also for effective analytical systems able to detect S. aureus at an early stage of infection to prevent serious hospital-acquired infections and food-associated diseases. To this aim, biosensor technologies have demonstrated usefulness for rapid and sensitive detection of S. aureus in different matrices. This chapter describes the last outcomes on the development of smart biosensors to reveal S. aureus in different matrices, being staphylococcal contamination which is a crucial concern worldwide.