Recent progress on fluorescent probes for viruses

Viruses are ubiquitous in human life. Some viruses can be used as vectors of genetic engineering and specific pesticides. Other viruses trigger a variety of diseases in humans, animals and plants, resulting in high infection rates and mortality. Therefore, convenient, accurate and rapid detection of viruses is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of subsequent diseases. In contrast to traditional methods of detection, which rely on time-consuming and complex techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescent probes and imaging methods generate real-time results, with high specificity, and have been widely used in viral detection. In this review, the application of viral fluorescent probes in analyzing the molecular structure, detection and biological imaging is discussed. In particular, we categorized the probes based on their specificity for human and plant viruses, reviewing the latest findings and analyzing their limitations. The potential of fluorescent molecular probes in the treatment of viral disease and environmental analysis, and their possible combination with protein and immune technology are discussed.