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| | Minamata Disease and the Mercury Pollution of the Globe |
 | | Masazumi Harada, M.D., Ph.D. Minamata Disease was discovered for the first time in the world at Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 1956 (Minamata Disease Research Group; 1968, Harada M; 1995), and for the next time at Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1965 (Tsubaki T and Irukayama K; 1977). |
 | | The cases of organic mercury poisoning that had been known prior to Minamata Disease occurred as the result of the direct poisoning of those who were engaged in organic-mercury handling occupations or those who took it in accidentally (Hunter D et al; 1940, Lundgren KD et al; 1949). |
 | | Tokuomi, sensory disturbance and constriction of the visual field were observed as an example of the typical symptoms of Minamata Disease among 100% of its patients, coordination disturbance among 93.5%, dysarthria among 88.2%, hearing disturbance among 85.3% and tremor among 75.8%. |
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