A cow in Hokkaido was confirmed Thursday to have contracted mad cow disease, the seventh since the brain-wasting disease was discovered in Japan in 2001, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry

The announcement came just four days after the sixth cow tested positive for the disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. That case involved a cow in Wakayama Prefecture. All seven cows have been Holsteins.

The ministry held a meeting of experts later in the day who confirmed the diagnosis. With the confirmation, the cow's meat and organs, which have been kept on ice awaiting the outcome, will be incinerated.