The first step I took in researching my topic was going on to the Clark College Library Website to access the article databases that my English teacher, Ms. Steltz, recommended I use. There were many article databases to choose from, each with an abundant amount of information within them if you know how to use them correctly. I am not sure why but I had a hard time finding any directly related information to my project on ProQuest and CQ researcher. but when I checked Gale Virtual Reference Library(GALE) I found all of the articles I needed in two searches.
I found my first article on the GALE database. I searched “topsoil and bacteria and diseases.” An article titled “Anthrax” caught my attention because it was a disease I have heard of before, but I did not know anything about it. After reading through this article I discovered it fit my research topic perfectly. Anthrax is caused from a bacteria that lives in the soil and humans can get this disease by coming in contact with the bacteria. This article explains that Anthrax is a deadly disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, and later explains that in 1876 this bacteria was the first to be recognized by Robert Koch (1843-1910) as a disease causing bacteria. Anthrax is caused by people with a lesion coming in contact with the bacteria in spore form, the spore will then enter through the lesion and settle into the person's body and start to multiple. The article also describes how these bacteria survive when outside of a host body by living in soil. Being such a deadly disease, the article explains how during World War II Anthrax was going to be used as a weapon by Japan. Japan had prepared about 880 lb of powdered anthrax spores for use in fragmentation bombs intended to spread the spores into the air to be inhaled (“Anthrax”). The article also tells about the time in 1942 that anthrax spores contaminated Gruinard, a Scottish island. Due to the long-lived nature of the spores, the island was off-limits for 48 years afterward, when it was finally decontaminated (“Anthrax”). I also found the second article in the GALE database. …show more content…
The fungus bacteria Nocardia is the culprit of the disease nocardiosis. The severity of the disease depends on where it settles into a person's body. For example, the article claims that the cure rate of the disease in skin and soft tissues is about 100%. Whereas, when the disease is in the brain, the cure rate is around 50%. According to the article there are as many as 15 species of the bacteria Nocardia identified right now and more out there to be found. The article states that you can get the disease from inhaling the dust particles that carry Nocardia, or by directly having contaminated soil touch a cut on your body. Nocardiosis is more common in males than females by a three to one ratio (“Nocardiosis”). The article goes on to say that Nocardiosis is a disease that can be hard to diagnose because it takes so long for the bacteria to grow. When a doctor tests the culture, they often don’t give it enough time for the bacteria to grow. According to the article the treatment time varies, most take around six months to be cured, but it is possible for for the treatment time to be around 12-18 months. Treatment sometimes also includes surgery to excise dead tissue and drain abscesses
I found my first article on the GALE database. I searched “topsoil and bacteria and diseases.” An article titled “Anthrax” caught my attention because it was a disease I have heard of before, but I did not know anything about it. After reading through this article I discovered it fit my research topic perfectly. Anthrax is caused from a bacteria that lives in the soil and humans can get this disease by coming in contact with the bacteria. This article explains that Anthrax is a deadly disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, and later explains that in 1876 this bacteria was the first to be recognized by Robert Koch (1843-1910) as a disease causing bacteria. Anthrax is caused by people with a lesion coming in contact with the bacteria in spore form, the spore will then enter through the lesion and settle into the person's body and start to multiple. The article also describes how these bacteria survive when outside of a host body by living in soil. Being such a deadly disease, the article explains how during World War II Anthrax was going to be used as a weapon by Japan. Japan had prepared about 880 lb of powdered anthrax spores for use in fragmentation bombs intended to spread the spores into the air to be inhaled (“Anthrax”). The article also tells about the time in 1942 that anthrax spores contaminated Gruinard, a Scottish island. Due to the long-lived nature of the spores, the island was off-limits for 48 years afterward, when it was finally decontaminated (“Anthrax”). I also found the second article in the GALE database. …show more content…
The fungus bacteria Nocardia is the culprit of the disease nocardiosis. The severity of the disease depends on where it settles into a person's body. For example, the article claims that the cure rate of the disease in skin and soft tissues is about 100%. Whereas, when the disease is in the brain, the cure rate is around 50%. According to the article there are as many as 15 species of the bacteria Nocardia identified right now and more out there to be found. The article states that you can get the disease from inhaling the dust particles that carry Nocardia, or by directly having contaminated soil touch a cut on your body. Nocardiosis is more common in males than females by a three to one ratio (“Nocardiosis”). The article goes on to say that Nocardiosis is a disease that can be hard to diagnose because it takes so long for the bacteria to grow. When a doctor tests the culture, they often don’t give it enough time for the bacteria to grow. According to the article the treatment time varies, most take around six months to be cured, but it is possible for for the treatment time to be around 12-18 months. Treatment sometimes also includes surgery to excise dead tissue and drain abscesses