The International Space Station, as it turned out, has become home to as yet unexplored bacteria, very similar to terrestrial bacteria of the Enterobacter genus.
Enterobacter is a rod-shaped, spore-forming bacteria that is commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals, as well as in soil and water. Moreover, they are opportunistic bacteria and often become the causative agents of infectious diseases such as inflammation of the bladder, inflammation of the kidneys (acute pyelonephritis) and others.
Samples in which harmful bacteria were found were collected by astronauts in 2015 near the toilet and in the ISS gym.
According to NASA researchers, the detected bacteria can become a serious threat to the health of astronauts and astronauts, since they feel great in the conditions of the ISS, and the probability of this threat is about 79%.
Of the 5 isolated strains, 3 turned out to be similar to the bacteria of the Enterobacter bugandensis species that live on Earth and cause infections in newborns. In "space" and terrestrial bacteria, 112 genes were similar, which in terrestrial bacteria are involved in the mechanisms of human infection, the development of disease and protection from drugs.
At this point, the bacteria are going to test whether they can actually cause disease.
However, despite the fears around the "space bacteria" discovered by scientists, the researchers emphasize that still mysterious bacteria do not pose any real threat to people inside the space station.
Promotional video:
Dr. Singh added: