Space and Infectious Disease
Unfortunately, not only did your cough not go away, it got worse. The rest of the crew seems to have already come down with the same infection, jeopardizing the mission.
In microgravity, microbes, particularly bacteria, take on more virulent properties making infection much easier. This is because the mechanisms by which those properties are activated in the human body are typically due to water surrounding the microbe. In space, water clumps into spheres making this process easier and setting the microbes about, reproducing at a rapid pace.
"Microgravity mimics an environmental signal that [bacteria] normally encounter—namely, a decrease in the amount of force generated by liquids moving over the cells’ surface, which signals to the cells that it is time to begin infection." (National Geographic)
Water and air aboard the vessel are recycled to save weight, but high quality filters are expensive and heavy. When you cough, sneeze, talk, or even breathe, droplets of water and other particulates enter the air. On Earth, gravity pulls these particles to the ground, but in a space environment, they simply float about until inhaled or they contact a surface.
All of these make infection in space much easier.
In microgravity, microbes, particularly bacteria, take on more virulent properties making infection much easier. This is because the mechanisms by which those properties are activated in the human body are typically due to water surrounding the microbe. In space, water clumps into spheres making this process easier and setting the microbes about, reproducing at a rapid pace.
"Microgravity mimics an environmental signal that [bacteria] normally encounter—namely, a decrease in the amount of force generated by liquids moving over the cells’ surface, which signals to the cells that it is time to begin infection." (National Geographic)
Water and air aboard the vessel are recycled to save weight, but high quality filters are expensive and heavy. When you cough, sneeze, talk, or even breathe, droplets of water and other particulates enter the air. On Earth, gravity pulls these particles to the ground, but in a space environment, they simply float about until inhaled or they contact a surface.
All of these make infection in space much easier.
