020246 Fourth Mad Cow Victim Dies in France

Paris - A 31-year-old man has died of the human form of mad cow disease, the fourth such fatality in France, a support group said.

The victim first showed symptoms of variant Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease in July 2001 and died late last week, a group spokesman said.

Mad cow disease has never been found in the United States. The disease has infected cattle in much of Europe, and the human version has killed more than 100 people overseas, mostly Britons.

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is believed to spread through recycled meat and bones from infected animals used in cattle feed.

Variant CJD appears to be contracted by eating meat tainted by mad cow disease.

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