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Extraterrestrial life
Someone did not wash their hands after using the space toilet. A recent study of bacteria onboard the International Space Station revealed five different strains of Enterobacter, a type of bacterium known for its ability to survive our most powerful antibiotics.
When scientists badyzed the genetic makeup of antibiotic-resistant strains, according to a study published Friday in the journal BMC Microbiology, they estimated at 79% the probability that the bacteria could infect humans.
Peaceful coexistence
Bacteria samples were collected for study in 2015. Lack of data from around the world Enterobacter infections since means that these strains are not immediately dangerous.
But should they ever to become dangerous, treatment options will be limited – especially if this day comes before doctors develop new types of antibiotics to prevent the looming crisis of new insects that can withstand our antibiotics of last resort.
The reason some experts are unsure of the threat of these bacteria is that we do not fully understand how bacteria work in space, where there is less gravity and more residual radiation. If they start to infect the astronauts, the ISS can be infected with cases of lower respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections, among other conditions caused by Enterobacter.
Back to earth
Enterobacter is known to complicate hospital stays. People with other conditions that weaken their immune system are more likely Enterobacter the infection, which is then very difficult to treat – and to completely eliminate hospitals – because of the resistance of the bacteria.
So, even though astronauts are safe for the foreseeable future, doctors will have to develop a game plan to make sure to stay on that path, especially in the face of opportunistic bacteria that are hard enough to treat at home. terrestrial patients.
READ MORE: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria discovered on International Space Station[[[[ScienceAlert]
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