Germs Taken to Space Come Back Stronger and Deadlier

The germ Salmonella was put on a space shuttle and sent into space because scientists wanted to see how space travel has an affect on germs. Researchers found that 167 genes had changed in the salmonella that went into space. They say that the germs change genetically because they sensed that they were in new environment. When they fed mice the germs from space they were three times more likely to get sick and die than the mice that were fed germs that didn’t go into space.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Causes Deaths

It is reported that a brain-eating amoeba has been causing deaths and health scares. The amoeba gets into the body through the nasal cavity and destroys tissue as it moves toward the brain. You can get it by swimming in lakes, hot springs, and swimming pools. It lives in the bottom of the waters and lives off of algae and bacteria. People can get infected when they wade through the water and stir up the bottom of the water. It has infected and killed 23 people between 1995 and 2004. There have been several hundred cases worldwide since its discovery in 1960.

People that are infected complain about a stiff neck, headaches, and fevers. They soon show signs of brain damage and have hallucinations and changes in behavior. There is a very small chance of surviving and the infected die within two weeks.