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 …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