Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus during space flight.
Staphylococcus aureus was isolated over 2 years from Space Shuttle mission crewmembers to determine dissemination and retention of bacteria. Samples before and after each mission were from nasal, throat, urine, and feces and from air and surface sampling of the Space Shuttle. DNA fingerprinting of samples by digestion of DNA with SmaI restriction endonuclease followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed S. aureus from each crewmember had a unique fingerprint and usually only one strain was carried by an individual. There was only one instance of transfer between crewmembers. Strains from interior surfaces after flight matched those of crewmembers, suggesting microbial fingerprinting may have forensic application.
Pierson
D L
DL
Biomedical Operations and Research Branch, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
Chidambaram
M
M
Heath
J D
JD
Mallary
L
L
Mishra
S K
SK
Sharma
B
B
Weinstock
G M
GM
D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D018504:Ecological Systems, Closed; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013026:Space Flight; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology