[ad_1]
Space travel may seem exciting to those who look from afar, but it comes with many frightening complications that surface as they adjust to new conditions never before seen on Earth. New research from NASA reveals that being in space can reactivate dormant viruses.
SEE ALSO: NASA CHOOSES SURFACES & # 39; HAPPY & # 39; TO COMBAT ASPRONAUTE
Herpes virus reactivated
Herpes viruses have been reactivated in more than half of the crew members participating in the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) missions.
"NASA astronauts endure weeks or months of exposure to microgravity and cosmic radiation, not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and reentry," said Dr. Satish K. Mehta, principal author, of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Center.
"This physical challenge is compounded by more well-known stressors, such as social separation, isolation and a modified sleep-wake cycle."
Mehta and his colleagues monitor the physiological impact of spaceflight by badyzing samples of saliva, blood and urine from astronauts. What they found was problematic.
"During spaceflights, the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system, is increasing, so we find that the immune cells of astronauts , especially those which normally suppress and eliminate viruses, become less effective during spaceflights and sometimes up to 60 days later. "
These circumstances could be further aggravated by the stressful environment in which astronauts find themselves.
To date, 47 out of 53 astronauts (53%) performing short space shuttle flights and 14 out of 23 (61%) participating in longer ISS missions have eliminated the herpes virus. in their saliva or urine samples, "reported Mehta.
"These frequencies, as well as the amount, of viral shedding are significantly higher than in pre-flight or post-flight samples, or in matched healthy controls."
The researchers detected four of eight known human herpes viruses, including oral and bad herpes (HSV), chickenpox and shingles (VZV).
Fortunately, viral shedding has been mostly asymptomatic for the moment. "Only six astronauts have developed symptoms due to viral reactivation," said Mehta. "All were minors."
However, it was found that the excretion of the virus continued after the leak, posing a potential danger to immunocompromised or uninfected persons on Earth.
"Infectious VZV and CMV were released into body fluids up to 30 days after the return of the International Space Station," Mehta added.
In addition, as we conduct longer missions in space, the danger increases with their duration.
"The magnitude, frequency, and duration of viral shedding all increase with the duration of spaceflight."
Necessary countermeasures
Mehta argues that it is necessary to develop countermeasures against this shedding. Ideally, a vaccination would work, but for the moment this only exists for one type of herpes; VZV.
"The trials of other herpesvirus vaccines are not promising, so we are focusing on the development of targeted treatment regimens for people suffering the consequences of viral reactivation."
"This research is also of considerable clinical relevance to patients on Earth, and our space-based technologies for the rapid detection of viruses in saliva are being used in clinics and hospitals around the world," Mehta said.
The study is published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
[ad_2]
Source link
