MOSCOW, November 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control Service, Rosselkhoznadzor, dismissed reports Saturday about an outbreak of the mad cow disease, otherwise known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, in one of the country's southern provinces.

"The information released by some media that there is a suspected presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the [Krasnodar] region is false," the agency said in a news release.

It was the recent death of 97 calves at one local farm that is believed to have given rise to such speculations. Tests at the Krasnodar region's central veterinary laboratory showed that all fallen cattle had been infected with the rabies virus. But Rosselkhoznadzor said the findings are "preliminary" and that further testing will be needed to establish the actual cause of the outbreak.

All animals that may have been in contact with the sick calves have been slaughtered to prevent the spread of the disease, and cattle at nearby farms have been vaccinated, the agency said, adding that no new cases have been registered.

The well-being of homegrown livestock is an increasingly sensitive issue now that Russian authorities are considering banning meat imports from the EU. They may impose such a ban starting next January when Bulgaria and Romania, both of which have recently suffered from outbreaks of swine fever, are slated to join the 25-nation bloc.