Woman dead months after son died of mad cow disease

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The mother of a Spanish man who died from the human form of mad cow disease has also died from the illness, Spain's Ministry of Health said Wednesday.

It is believed to be the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from mad cow disease, said Juan Jose Badiola, director of Spain's national research center for mad cow disease.

"It's noteworthy that there's a double case in the same family," Badiola said.

Until now, Badiola added, clinical evidence that he's seen from the United Kingdom and France -- which have had the most deaths due to the human form of mad cow disease -- have not recorded two cases in a single family.

The mother, in her early 60s, died last month. The government confirmed Wednesday that it was because of mad cow disease but did not, by custom, make her name public.

Her son, 41, died in February from the same disease, Badiola said. Continue Reading >>