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In orbit more than 250 km from Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) houses a handful of scientists and astronauts permanently residing in the orbital outpost – as well as many microbes that have settled aboard the center. of research. Among these microbes, scientists have recently discovered five strains of Enterobacter – a drug-resistant hospital virus known to cause a series of dangerous infections, reports the RT.
The fact that germs can be found on the ISS is not a revelation: "Where there are people, there are bacteria even in the space," said the NASA a few years ago, when the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the agency was in Pasadena, California. , published a study on the microbes found in the dust particles collected in the air filters of the space station.
Nevertheless, find five different varieties of Enterobacter aboard the in-orbit laboratory could pose a threat to future space station shipments, particularly because of the drug-resistant profile of strains of bacteria.
according to Phys.org, the five strains of Enterobacter were isolated from the ISS in March 2015 and were found in the facility washrooms and on the exercise platform that astronauts use to keep fit and combat life-related muscular atrophy in a microgravity environment.
After discovering these bacteria, the JPL launched an investigation into the genetic makeup of each individual strain and discovered that they were all genetically similar to three. Enterobacter newly identified strains on Earth. Known as Enterobacter bugandensis, it was found that these three bacteria "caused diseases in newborns and a compromised patient, who had been admitted to three different hospitals" – two in the United States and one in East Africa, said in a statement released by JPL microbiologist Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran.
Hospital bug found on the ISS! "Infectious organisms" live on the International Space Station, #NASA reveals https://t.co/LFvjseETi2
– NewsKicker (@NewsKicker) November 25, 2018
Write in the newspaper BMC MicrobiologyVenkateswaran and his colleagues pointed out that the new microbes of the ISS do not harm the space station crew in its current form. Nevertheless, computer simulations carried out by the JPL team showed that the Enterobacter bugandensis Discovery in space has a 79% chance of becoming pathogenic, which means that it could eventually infect astronauts and cause illness.
"Given the multidrug resistance results for these ISS E. bugandensis genome and the increased risks of pathogenicity that we have identified, these species could pose significant health problems for future missions, "said Dr. Nitin Singh, lead author of the study, researcher in the protection group of Biotechnology and the Planet of the JPL.
"However, it is important to understand that strains found on the ISS were not virulent, which means that they do not pose an active threat to human health, but need to be monitored. "
In order to determine the genetic profile of space insects, scientists compared the five Enterobacter bugandensis genome strains of nearly 1,300 Enterobacter strains collected on Earth. The analysis revealed that ISS bacteria were resistant to five of the most commonly used antibiotics, including penicillin and oxacillin. In addition, the microbes were found to be resistant, intermediate resistant or sensitive to four other antibiotics.
Mutant super-bacteria threaten future space station shipments – NASA https://t.co/AKt6dlKYLP pic.twitter.com/xdxSyRGYOI
– RT (@RT_com) November 25, 2018
While the new study shows that the hospital virus detected on the ISS could pose problems for future astronaut missions, the team emphasized the need for further research before anyone can establish the infection. Enterobacter bugandensis could be in the space.
"Whether or not an opportunistic pathogen such as E. bugandensis is a cause of the disease depends on many factors, including environmental ones," Venkateswaran said.
The unique conditions on board the ISS, including microgravity, space radiation and high levels of carbon dioxide, are known to increase the resistance of microbes to antibiotics, he notes. RT. It means that the Enterobacter bugandensis found in space could end up becoming more virulent over time.
according to AntiMicrobe.org, Enterobacter Bacteria can cause a wide range of infections that can affect the lungs, lower respiratory tract and urinary tract. These microbes are also known to produce ophthalmic, cutaneous and soft tissue infections, as well as intra-abdominal infections. A particular strain of Enterobactercalled E. sakazakii, has been associated with sepsis with meningitis in the newborn.
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