Sunita Williams and astronauts find superbug on ISS; concerns arise over potential impact on Earth's health.
This infection may have major health effects, therefore researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras) are studying it.
A drug-resistant "superbug" has been found aboard the International Space Station (ISS), raising serious health concerns for all of the crew members who are in orbit, including astronaut Sunita Williams, who is Indian in descent.
A "pivotal study" on this multidrug-resistant pathogen is reportedly being carried out by scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Indian Institute of Technology—Madras (IIT-Madras). Astronauts now have serious health issues as a result of the research.
This resilient bacterial strain, identified as Enterobacter bugandensis, is a member of a class of pathogens that are well-known for their resistance to several antimicrobial medications. According to the paper, research on this pathogen may have ramifications for handling comparable hazards on Earth.
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