NASA WARNING: Half of astronauts in danger of reawakening SPACE HERPES on missions

Dr Satish Mehta, senior author of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Center, said: “NASA astronauts endure weeks or even months exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation – not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and re-entry.

“This physical challenge is compounded by more familiar stressors like social separation, confinement and an altered sleep-wake cycle.”

Dr Mehta added: “To date, 47 out of 89 astronauts on short space shuttle flights, and 14 out of 23 on longer ISS missions shed herpes viruses in their saliva or urine samples.

“These frequencies – as well as the quantity – of viral shedding are markedly higher than in samples from before or after flight, or from matched healthy controls.

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