Shift workers more prone to infections

Shift workers may be more prone to infections and chronic diseases due to disruptions to their body clocks – research from the University of Cambridge suggests.

Employees are more susceptible to catching infections at certain times of the day, according to research that found that the body clock affects the ability of viruses to replicate and spread between cells.

Those with disrupted body clocks - also known as ‘circadian rhythms’ which control functions including sleep patterns, body temperature, immune systems and the release of hormones - were more likely to be susceptible to illness.

Research conducted at the Wellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge, found that virus replication in mice that were infected with herpes at the start of day, at the animals resting phase (equivalent to sunrise) was ten times greater than in mice that were infected ten hours into their day, when transitioning to their active phase.