Antibiotic resistant bacteria found on the ISS – it has been around for at least two years

The International Space Station may seem clean, but it actually crawls with microbes. JPL-NASA scientists reported identifying several strains of Enterobacter in samples taken from the toilets and exercise areas of the space station. Enterobacter is best known for infecting patients whose immune systems are weakened in hospitals and extremely resistant to antibiotics.

Spacebugs

Fortunately, the strains identified on the ISS are not pathogenic to humans (they do not infect it). And, although it's virtually impossible to have humans without bacteria – we're dragging our own microbiomes wherever we go – the mere fact of finding any strain of Enterobacter on the station is quite disturbing. .

The genus is infamous for its prey on immunocompromised patients on Earth; He is also known for his ridiculous resistance to antibiotics. The space is (forgive the beast) an environment out of this world. There is more radiation, there is almost no gravity, there are humans everywhere, piled in a tube containing a lot of carbon dioxide. All these constraints could change the lifestyle and multiplication of microbes – these changes could, in turn, make them pathogenic for humans.

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NASA employs a handful of microbiologists from its jet propulsion laboratory, who regularly badyze specimens of microbes sent from the ISS to determine if life in the world is over. space changes their populations or their habits. Microbiologists also monitor any potential biological risk to astronaut equipment or health. This is the first time that they identify antibiotic-resistant Enterobacter strains in the station.

"To show which species of the bacteria were present on the ISS, we used various methods to characterize their genomes in detail. We revealed that the genomes of the five ISS strains of Enterobacter were genetically more similar to the three newly discovered strains on Earth, "explained microbiologist Kasthuri Venkateswaran.

" These three strains belonged to one species of the bacterium, called Enterobacter bugandensis which had caused diseases in neonates and a compromised patient, who had been admitted to three different hospitals (in East Africa, in the 39, Washington State and Colorado). "

Samples were taken in 2015. Since no astronaut has been struck since, insects do not appear to pose an immediate threat, however, the team believes that this state of affairs can quickly change – and that it would be serious.The Enterobacter of space origin were resistant to a wide range of antibiotics and almost completely immune to cefazolin, cefoxitin, oxacillin, penicillin and rifampin.

Enterobacter cloacae.
CDC Public Health Image Library (PHIL # 6552).

The strains also share 112 genes with clinical strains badociated with virulence, disease, and in the defense. The team reports that computer models indicate a 79% probability that spatial strains develop a human pathogen and cause disease . [1] 9659009] For now, however, astronauts are safe. The possibilities, as worrying as they are, remain to be tested in living organisms. The team is working to better understand the situation and develop an intervention procedure (which it hopes to never use) against this bacteria.

"Does an opportunistic pathogen such as E. bugandensis cause disease and a real threat? depends on various factors, including environmental, "said Venkateswaran. "Other in vivo studies are needed to determine the impact that conditions on the ISS, such as microgravity, other factors related to space and spacecraft. , could have on pathogenicity and virulence ".

The document "Enterobacter bugandensis multidrug-resistant" species isolated from the International Space Station and comparative genomic badyzes with pathogenic strains for humans "was published in the journal BMC Microbiology .

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