Abstract
The effect of stress and immune responses associated with manned space missions is unknown, but concern of diminished immunity on long missions is problematic. Decreased cellular immunity has been reported in astronauts flying on short- and long-duration missions, but the medical significance is unclear as illnesses in astronauts during spaceflights are uncommon. Opportunistic pathogens such as latent viruses pose a unique hazard to crewmembers because of the ineffectiveness of preflight quarantine periods and decreased immune function. Our research has demonstrated that reactivation of latent herpes viruses serves as a surrogate marker for decreased immunity in astronauts. This chapter provides concrete evidence that spaceflight results in asymptomatic reactivation of latent herpes viruses. Furthermore, these changes are believed to result from neuroendocrine and immune changes associated with stress and spaceflight.
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Stowe, R.P., Pierson, D.L., Mehta, S.K. (2012). Stress, Spaceflight, and Latent Herpes Virus Reactivation. In: Chouker, A. (eds) Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22272-6_16
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