Congenital Minamata disease: a description of two cases in Niigata

Minamata disease or methyl mercury poisoning from industrial pollution was first described from Minamata, Japan in the 1950s. Subsequently, a similar poisoning episode occurred at Niigata, Japan in the 1960s. This paper describes the Minamata event and then presents two case reports believed to be prenatal poisoning from consumption of contaminated fish at Niigata. Case number one is of special interest because it is the only subject with congenital Minamata disease for whom exposure was actually measured near the time of birth.