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WASHINGTON, March 18 (Xinhua) – The dormant herpes viruses have been reactivated in more than half of the studied astronauts who have traveled in space, according to a recent study by the US Space Agency NASA.
To date, 47 astronauts out of 89 performing short space shuttle flights and 14 out of 23 astronauts participating in longer missions from the International Space Station have cleared the herpes virus in saliva or saliva samples. urine, said Satish Mehta, author of the study and researcher at the Johnson Space Center. .
"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," said Mehta in a statement released Friday.
Although this does not often cause symptoms such as a rash, the rates of virus reactivation increase with the duration of spaceflights and could pose health risks during future missions on Mars and beyond, the statement said.
The researchers explained that the reactivation of the virus is mainly due to the increase in the rate of stress hormones in astronomers during spaceflight. It is known that such hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, suppress the immune system of people.
The immune cells of astronomers can sometimes remain less effective up to 60 days after a space flight. Thus, further excretion of the virus may affect not only the individuals themselves, but also immunocompromised or uninfected contacts on Earth, such as infants.
Until now, this viral excretion was generally asymptomatic. "Only six astronauts have developed symptoms due to viral reactivation," said Mehta. "All were minors."
To ensure the safety of future explorations in remote areas, Mehta said her current goal was to develop targeted treatment plans for people suffering the consequences of viral reactivation.
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