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posted by martyb on Saturday March 16 2019, @05:03PM   Printer-friendly
from the get-shot-in-the-arm-before-getting-shot-into-space dept.

https://phys.org/news/2019-03-dormant-viruses-spaceflight.amp

Herpes viruses reactivate in more than half of crew aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions, according to NASA research published in Frontiers in Microbiology. While only a small proportion develop symptoms, virus reactivation rates increase with spaceflight duration and could present a significant health risk on missions to Mars and beyond.

[...] "NASA astronauts endure weeks or even months exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation—not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and re-entry," says senior author Dr. Satish K. Mehta of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Center. "This physical challenge is compounded by more familiar stressors like social separation, confinement and an altered sleep-wake cycle."

[...] "During spaceflight there is a rise in secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system. In keeping with this, we find that astronaut's immune cells—particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses—become less effective during spaceflight and sometimes for up to 60 days after."


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  • (Score: 1, Troll) by aiwarrior on Saturday March 16 2019, @07:11PM (4 children)

    by aiwarrior (1812) on Saturday March 16 2019, @07:11PM (#815546) Journal

    Wow you truly come from an enlightened place, where contagious diseases are something that makes an astronaut incapable.
    Did the herpes cause incapability or lower performance of the people there? Does a virgin make a good astronaut? First you equate people who have herpes, but then you assert that actually a random person can give you herpes, because she was a whore.

    God, did I get trolled?

    As an interesting related concept in Mozambique bald man heads are considered to have gold. Perhaps you should join their rituals as they seem to be on the same civilizational level.
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40185359 [bbc.com]

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:15PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:15PM (#815592)

    Being in a workplace where your fluid from herpes blisters is floating around in the air is a special kind of horribleness. You could get it in your eye and go blind. You could breath it deep into your lungs.

    Astronauts go into quarantine before missions. We don't let them take the flu up to the space station. I don't see why we let them bring herpes.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @11:35PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @11:35PM (#815608)

      Dude, I'm not gay or nothin, but if I ever meet you I'm going to give you a big kiss just so you can wonder if I ever encountered any other human being who may have had some form of a herpes virus. Pucker up big fella.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @02:27AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @02:27AM (#815660)

      Ewwww, Porntube has lots of chicks who get it in their eyes. Do they go blind?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:39AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:39AM (#815758)

        Ewwww, Porntube has lots of chicks who get it in their eyes. Do they go blind?

        No, but you will if you keep visiting those naughty, naughty sites.