The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm a man from Texas has died after contracting Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
According to the CDC, the disease is a degenerative, fatal brain disorder in humans.
It is contracted by eating meat from cows who suffer from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or more commonly known as "mad cow" disease.
The CDC said laboratory tests of the victim's brain tested positive for variant CJD.
Since 1996, more than 220 cases of Variant CJD have been reported worldwide, with most of the cases occurring in the United Kingdom.
This is the fourth case of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ever reported in the United States.
In all four cases in the U.S. the victims contracted the disease overseas. And according to the CDC, the latest victim had traveled extensively outside the country to Europe, and the Middle East.
