Space exploration and toxicology: a new frontier.
Results of the microbial and immunological studies discussed above clearly illustrate an in-flight or post-flight blunting of the cellular immune mechanism in humans and test animals, coincident with a relative increase in pathogenic microorganisms. This situation predicts an increased incidence of in-flight infectious disease events. To prevent this from occurring, most observers agree that a robust program of preflight and in-flight immunological and microbiological monitoring, combined with an effective countermeasures program, are required for optimally successful long-duration spaceflight.
Oberdörster
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Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, New York 14642.
White
R
R
Rabin
R
R
Clarkson
T
T
Irons
R
R
Gardner
D
D
Taylor
G R
GR
Sonnenfeld
G
G
Thomas
R
R
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D013026:Space Flight; D014116:Toxicology / Q000639:trends*