A Brazilian Minamata disease? Neurologists must be aware of mercury exposure and intoxication.

Abstract

Mercury intoxication poses a significant challenge and growing threat to public health, particularly in the Amazon region. Despite a known history of neurological damage, as evidenced by Japan's Minamata disease, mercury intoxication remains underdiagnosed in Brazil. This review underscores the need for increased clinical awareness among neurologists, as mercury exposure has been linked to over 250 neurological symptoms, including cognitive impairment, cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and psychiatric disturbances. The Indigenous and riverside populations in the Amazon present a high prevalence of cognitive and motor deficits, tremors, and sensory disturbances, which are associated with mercury body burdens. Diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical suspicion, environmental exposure history, and biomonitoring through hair and urine analyses. Given the widespread environmental contamination and potential long-term health consequences, neurologists must be vigilant in recognizing and managing mercury-related neurotoxicity, particularly in vulnerable Brazilian populations.