CHARLES CITY - The widow of Thomas Squier, a Charles City man who died Wednesday, said he died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare brain disorder.

He did not die of mad cow disease, a separate disease that is in the same class as sporadic CJD, Paula Squier said Friday.

"This is an isolated case," said Squier. "North Iowa is not at risk for developing mad cow disease."

Squier, 60, died at home Wednesday of "sporadic CJD." Only about six cases a year are reported in Iowa. He was diagnosed nine days earlier, his widow said.

Sporadic CJD occurs with no genetic or infectious cause, said Dr. Thomas Grabowski, professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa.

"In general, a sporadic case of CJD has no connection to mad cow disease and does not require special precautions or drastic measures to protect the public," he said.

"Mad cow disease is a disease of cattle and spread to humans due to the substandard use of animal products in animal feeds," Grabowski said. "Cases of mad cow infections in people are few in number and generally limited to nations that made a general practice of feeding substandard feeds to livestock."

Squier first exhibited symptoms of CJD six or seven months ago. He started having visual problems and dizziness. He later developed hearing and memory problems and trouble with his balance, his widow said.

The family first took him to specialists at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. They referred him to University Hospitals in Iowa City where the diagnosis was made