Space Travel May Trigger Dormant Herpes Viruses: NASA

Space travel caused reactivation of herpes viruses in over half of the astronauts aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS), posing a significant health risk for human missions to Mars and beyond, according to a NASA study.

While only a small proportion develops symptoms, virus reactivation rates increase with spaceflight duration and could present problems for deep space missions, according to the research published in the Frontiers in Microbiology journal.

Infectious mononucleosis / 'Mono'-Symptoms-Risk factors-Diagnosis-Treatment
Called also the kissing diesase, Mononucleosis is an infectious disease due to infection with the Epstein Barr virus of the herpes virus family.

‘Space travel can seem exciting to those watching from distant, but it comes with many scary complications which surface when adapting to new conditions never encountered on Earth. A new study finds that traveling to space can reactivate dormant herpes viruses which could be jeopardizing humankind's future missions to Mars and beyond.’

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During spaceflight, there is a rise in the 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," said Satish K. Mehta of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Centre.

As a result, dormant viruses reactivate and resurface.

New Molecule Has Potential Anti-Herpes Virus Effect
A new molecule called BX795 appears to be effective against herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) infection of the eye. It acts by a mechanism different from the currently used nucleoside analogues.

"To date, 47 out of 89 (53 percent) astronauts on short space shuttle flights, and 14 out of 23 (61 percent) on longer ISS missions shed herpes viruses in their saliva or urine samples.

"The magnitude, frequency, and duration of viral shedding all increase with length of spaceflight," Mehta said.

Herpes Virus Rearranges Telomeres to Improve Viral Replication: Study
A team of scientists, led by researchers at The Wistar Institute, has found that an infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) causes rearrangements in telomeres.

For the study, the team analyzed saliva, blood and urine samples collected from astronauts before, during and after spaceflight.

The frequencies - as well as the quantity - of viral shedding were found to be significantly higher than in samples from before or after the flight, or from matched healthy controls.

Herpes Virus Exploits Immune Response to Cause Infection
Researchers have said that the herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) exploits an immune system receptor to boost its infectivity.

Overall, four of the eight known human herpes viruses were detected. These include the varieties responsible for oral and genital herpes (HSV), chickenpox and shingles (VZV).

While so far, this viral shedding is typically asymptomatic, the continued virus shedding post flight could endanger immunocompromised or uninfected contacts on Earth, like newborns.

The findings have major implications for human deep-space missions beyond the Moon and Mars as the risk that herpes virus reactivation poses to astronauts and their contacts could become more crucial, the researchers said.

NASA's rapid viral detection systems and ongoing treatment research are beginning to safeguard astronauts-and immunocompromised patients on Earth.

Source-IANS