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Microbial Air and Surface Monitoring Results from International Space Station SamplesOver the course of long-duration spaceflight, spacecraft develop a microbial ecology that directly interacts with the crew of the vehicle. While most microorganisms are harmless or beneficial to the inhabitants of the vehicle, the presence of medically significant organisms appearing in this semi-closed environment could adversely affect crew health and performance. The risk of exposure of the crew to medically significant organisms during a mission is estimated using information gathered during nominal and contingency environmental monitoring. Analysis of the air and surface microbiota in the habitable compartments of the International Space Station (ISS) over the last four years indicate a high presence of Staphylococcus species reflecting the human inhabitants of the vehicle. Generally, air and surface microbial concentrations are below system design specifications, suggesting a lower risk of contact infection or biodegradation. An evaluation of sample frequency indicates a decrease in the identification of new species, suggesting a lower potential for unknown microorganisms to be identified. However, the opportunistic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, has been identified in 3 of the last 5 air samples and 5 of the last 9 surface samples. In addition, 47% of the coagulase negative Staphylococcus species that were isolated from the crew, ISS, and its hardware were found to be methicillin resistance. In combination, these observations suggest the potential of methicillin resistant infectious agents over time.
Document ID
20060010413
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Ott, C. Mark
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Bruce, Rebekah J.
(Krug Life Sciences, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Castro, Victoria A.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Novikova, Natalia D.
(Institute of Biomedical Problems Moscow, Russian Federation)
Pierson, D. L.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Meeting Information
Meeting: Environmental Systems and European Symposium
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
Start Date: July 11, 2005
End Date: July 14, 2005
Sponsors: Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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