Spanish mom, son die of 'mad cow'

MADRID, Spain (CNN) - The mother of a Spanish man who earlier died from the human form of mad cow disease has also expired 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, Juan Jose Badiola, director of Spain's national research center for mad cow disease, told CNN.

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

Ten years can pass between eating contaminated tissue and the appearance of the human form of the disease, called variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD), health officials say. The health ministry said there is no danger from eating meat in Spain, due to existing controls.
–From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman