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MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish
authorities urged calm Wednesday after seven new cases of
mad cow disease were confirmed, bringing the total of infected
cows to 24.
Four of the new cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), a brain-wasting disease, were found in the northwestern
region of Galicia, with one each in Menorca, Palencia and
Asturias.
"The
percentage is still less than one case in every thousand
tests being carried out," Ana Pastor, secretary for
the presidency, told reporters.
Deputy
secretary for Agriculture Manuel Lamela reassured Spanish
consumers that it was safe to buy beef in stores.
"All
beef that is in the market is safe for consumption, as it
complies with strict health controls," he said.
Scientists
say BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, can be spread
to people when they eat infected beef products. The human
version is known as new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(vCJD).
More
than 80 people have died of vCJD in Britain and three in
France. Experts still do not know how extensively the disease
will spread because it can take years or even decades for
symptoms to show.
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