Causes

• The neuropathy or nerve damage associated with Minamata disease occurs due to mercury poisoning from the consumption of fish that live in the polluted waters of Minamata Bay. The water became polluted as a result of dumping of hazardous materials by the Chisso Corporation in Japan.
  
  

Significance

• There have been more than 3,000 verified cases of Minamata disease and related neuropathy, according to American University.
  
  

Types of Symptoms

• Symptoms of neuropathy due to Minamata disease include difficulty walking or speaking, loss of coordination, vision or hearing problems, muscle weakness or cramping, nerve pain and abnormal sensing of hot or cold.
  
  

Risks

• In some cases, the neuropathy of Minamata disease is fatal. If the disease causes blindness or deafness, these effects are permanent.
  
  

Treatments

• When the disease is caught in its early stage, prescription medications are sometimes successful at removing levels of mercury from the body. In most cases, there is no cure for Minomata disease. Patients rely on pain medications to control the pain caused by neuropathy and on physical and occupational therapy to learn to cope with the effects of the nerve damage, according to Minamata Education.