Health officals and state health workers are trying to figure out if a man in Melbourne has a brain disorder, or the human form of mad cow disease.

Gary Dinges, 56, has been in a coma at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne for more than a week.

Health workers say it's possible he has mad cow disease, however they say it's unlikely because he didn't travel to high risk areas where he could have gotten the disease.

They say the patient is likely suffering from CJD, a degenerative brain disorder that has the same symptoms.

"Symptoms start with confusion, in-coordination, nervous system symptoms and become worse and worse," said Brevard County Health Director Heidar Heshmati.

Health officials don't know what causes CJD, but they say both diseases are fatal.

They say they're unable to determine exactly which disease the patient has because that takes a biopsy of brain tissue, which cannot be done while the patient's still alive.