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from the you-thought-airplanes-were-bad dept.
The ISS is crawling with nasty bacteria
NASA scientists have found that the International Space Station (ISS), home to six astronauts, is infested with disease-inducing bacteria. Many of the organisms breeding on the craft's surfaces are known to form both bacterial and fungal biofilms that promote resistance to antibiotics. The NASA team published their findings in a new study -- the first comprehensive catalog of germs in closed space systems -- in the journal Microbiome [open, DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0666-x] [DX]. The biofilms ability to cause microbial-induced corrosion on Earth could also play havoc with the ISS' infrastructure by causing mechanical blockages, claim the researchers.
The microbes come from humans and are similar to the ones in gyms, offices, and hospitals on Earth. They include so-called opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (commonly found on the skin and in the nasal passage) and Enterobacter (associated with the human gastrointestinal tract). Though they can cause diseases back on Earth, it's unclear what, if any, affect they'd have on the ISS' inhabitants.
Also at BGR.
Related: Space Builds Better Bugs?
Microbes Sampled and Sequenced Aboard the ISS
Prolonged Spaceflight Could Weaken Astronauts' Immune Systems
(Score: 3, Funny) by Pslytely Psycho on Wednesday April 10 2019, @09:18AM (5 children)
I'd say 'no shit,' except Mythbusters long ago showed us that shit is literally everywhere.....so why should a totally isolated biome, inhabited by over two hundred different people, from all over the globe, over 19 years, be any different? People are walking germ factories. I would think it probably stinks like sweat and socks and the astronauts just 'get used to it.' After all, if you wanna be a spaceman, you know it's not gonna be as glamorous as the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D).
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/fecal-matter-on-toothbrush/ [discovery.com]
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday April 10 2019, @09:56AM (4 children)
Breading grounds for germs? Yes.
Factories? Well, not all people use themselves to breed germs as the sole purpose of their existence, even if some manage to do it inadvertently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 10 2019, @09:26PM
Spoken as someone who doesn't see themselves as the temporary vessel providing for their gut bacteria's every whim.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Wednesday April 10 2019, @11:30PM (2 children)
"People are walking germ factories.
vs.
Breading grounds for germs?"
Semantics.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday April 10 2019, @11:55PM (1 child)
Semantics (from Ancient Greek: σημαντικός sēmantikós, "significant") deals with meaning [wikipedia.org], discard meaning at your peril.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Friday April 12 2019, @11:49AM
The difference of a breeding ground vs. a factory in this instance is trivial.
As many of the nasty little buggers take over a cell and literally turn it into a living factory.
Semantics.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.