WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

More potential Minamata patients confirmed
　Minamata Disease Shiranui Patients’ Association on January 22 conducted group medical examinations at six venues in four prefectures—Izumi City in Kagoshima Prefecture, Minamata and Amakusa City in Kumamoto Prefecture, Osaka and Okayama Prefectures-- with the aim of finding out potential victims of the mercury-poisoning disease. A total of 396 people between the ages of 40 and 90, including some 60 patients in Kagoshima Prefecture, underwent the checkups.
　At a press conference held after the mass-screening, the team of doctors revealed that they had confirmed 344 cases, which accounted for 90% of the 377, with symptoms that were peculiar to the Minamata disease such as paresthesia of the limbs.
The medical examination also aimed at applying the brakes to the national government’s move to set a time limit for the application for rescue measures.
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＜タイトル＞
さらなる潜在的な水俣病患者が確認される
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Conducted：実施した（carried out）　　　group ~ examinations：集団検診（mass-screening）　　　venues：会場　　　with the aim of ：・・・を目的として　　　the ~ disease：水銀中毒の病気（水俣病のこと）　　　A total of…：計・・・の　　　　including…：・・・を含めて　　　underwent ~ checkups：検診を受けた
＜第２パラグラフ＞
A ~ conference：記者会見　　　held：行なわれた（holdの過去分詞形；taken place）　　　revealed ：＜that以下を＞明らかにした（unveiled, announced; explained）　　　confirmed：確認した　　　accouted for…：・・・の割合を占めた　　　symptoms：症状　　　peculiar to…：・・・に特有の（particular to, unique to）　　　such as…：・・・のような　　　paresthesia ~ limbs：手足のしびれ（~ of extremities）
＜第３パラグラフ＞
The ~ examination：健康診断　　　applying ~ to…：・・・することをけん制すること（warning against; preventing ~ from…）　　　set ~ limit：期限を設ける　　　application ~ measures：救済策への申請