LAUSR

The dramatic surge in dengue cases in early 2024, endangering half the global population, urgently necessitates faster diagnostic methods. Nanotechnology‐enabled optical biosensors offer a promising avenue, leveraging nanomaterial properties for highly sensitive detection of dengue virus (DENV), potentially surpassing conventional techniques in terms of simplicity, speed, and cost‐effectiveness. This systematic review analyzes recent advancements in these biosensors for DENV diagnosis. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases (2010–June 1, 2025; OSF: https://osf.io/3gmey/). The methodological quality of the 98 included studies was assessed using a modified CASP checklist. Diverse nanotechnology‐based optical biosensors were identified. SPR (36.7%) was the most common transducer, followed by fluorescence (24.5%), colorimetry (15.3%), and SERS (8.2%). Gold‐based nanomaterials (35.7%) were most frequently employed, with silver nanomaterials (15.3%), quantum dots (15.3%), and graphene‐based materials (15.3%) also showing promise. DENV NS1 protein was the primary target analyte (21.4%). Importantly, almost half of the studies (44.9%) used clinically relevant human samples. While many optical biosensors show promise, challenges hinder their demonstration of the true potential for point‐of‐care use in their current format; however, they offer high specificity and faster results, laying a strong foundation for cost‐effective clinical diagnostics. Nanotechnology‐driven optical biosensors offer a transformative approach for DENV detection. Advances in computational design and green synthesis of novel nanomaterials are key to addressing stability and field‐deployment challenges. These innovations are crucial for developing robust, sensitive, and user‐friendly tools to manage dengue and improve patient outcomes globally.