Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology is a powerful tool to identify molecular species by collecting molecular spectral signals at the single-molecule level, and has been widely used in medical diagnosis, food safety, biological analysis and other fields. In this paper, the research progress of SERS technology in common bacteria and pathogens was reviewed, and it was expounded that the morphology, type (precious metal and semiconductor substrate), doping elements, hydrogenation time, physical conditions (temperature, pH) of nanostructures were designed and regulated to make it have excellent sensitivity, thus amplifying the application of SERS technology. At the same time, the combination of SERS technology and popular microfluidic technology and CRISRP technology were discussed, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of SERS technology in single molecule detection. Finally, the development prospect of SERS biosensor technology was prospected.