Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia, sensory disturbance in the hands and feet, damage to vision and hearing, weakness, and in extreme cases paralysis and death.
Minamata disease is named after Minamata Bay, Japan, the center of a methyl mercury poisoning outbreak in the 1950s. Forty-six people died of Minamata disease in 1956, the year the outbreak was first discovered. Domestic animals and birds in the area showed signs of similar symptoms.
In 1968, the Japanese government announced that the disease was caused by eating fish and shellfish that had been contaminated by mercury pollution caused by a chemical plant. Since that time, the contamination has been removed. While there is no cure for Minamata disease, there have been no recent outbreaks.
As of 2001, 2,955 people had been certified as suffering from Minamata disease. Of these, 2,265 had been living on the coast of the Yatsushiro Sea. Patients are eligible for financial compensation and assistance with their medical expenses. To reduce public concern, the Japanese government also provides medical examinations for people living in the affected area.
