What is endogenous disease?

What is Minamoto disease and what is itai itai disease?

• What are the causes, health effects and solutions of 'minamata disease' and 'itai-itai' disease?

• Answer:

  It is minamata (not minamoto) disease. It is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms 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. A congenital form of the disease can also affect fetuses in the womb. Itai Itai disease was the documented case of mass cadmium poisoning in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The cadmium poisoning caused softening of the bones and kidney failure. The disease is named for the severe pains caused in the joints and spine. The term itai-itai disease was coined by locals. The cadmium was released into rivers by mining companies in the mountains. The mining companies were successfully sued for the damage