Niigata Minamata disease
Niigata Minamata disease (pronunciation: /niːˈɡɑːtə mɪnəˈmɑːtə diːˈziːz/) is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. The disease was first discovered in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1965.
Etymology
The term "Niigata Minamata disease" is derived from the location of its first reported case, Niigata, and the name of the disease, Minamata, which was first discovered in Minamata city, Kumamoto prefecture. The disease is also known as the second Minamata disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Niigata Minamata disease include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms.
Cause
Niigata Minamata disease is caused by the consumption of seafood contaminated with methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury. The methylmercury is bioaccumulated in fish and shellfish, which are then consumed by humans.
Related Terms
- Minamata disease: A neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. The disease was first discovered in Minamata city, Kumamoto prefecture, in 1956.
- Methylmercury: A highly toxic form of mercury that bioaccumulates in organisms and biomagnifies in food chains, particularly in aquatic food chains.
- Bioaccumulation: The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism.
- Biomagnification: The process by which the concentration of a substance increases in an organism as it consumes plants or animals that have absorbed the substance.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Niigata Minamata disease
- Wikipedia's article - Niigata Minamata disease
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski