Navigating the Aerosolized Frontier: A Comprehensive Review of Bioaerosol Research Post-COVID-19

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has been galvanized to unravel the enigmatic role of bioaerosols in the transmission of infectious agents. This literature review, anchored in the extensive Web of Science Core Collection database covering the period from 1990 to 2023, utilizes a bibliometric approach to chart the dynamic landscape of bioaerosol research. It meticulously documents the paradigm shifts and burgeoning areas of inquiry that have emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic. This review meticulously maps out the sources and detection strategies of pathogens in a variety of ecosystems. It clearly shows that impaction and filtration sampling methods, followed by colony counting and PCR-based detection techniques, were predominantly used in the scientific works within the previous three decades. It synthesizes the progress and limitations inherent in a range of models for predicting aerosol-mediated pathogen spread and provides a comparative analysis of eDNA technology and traditional analytical techniques for bioaerosols. The accuracy of these detection methods and forecasting models is paramount for the early recognition of transmission risks, which, in turn, paves the way for prompt and effective disease mitigation strategies. By providing a thorough analysis of the historical progression and current state of bioaerosol research, this review illuminates the path ahead, identifying the critical research needs that will drive the field’s advancement in the years to come.