PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A case of mad cow disease has been confirmed in France, the first in nearly 12 years, the Agriculture Ministry said Thursday.

A European Union laboratory confirmed the case on Wednesday after a suspected case in a five-year-old cow in the northeastern Department of Ardennes was reported on March 17, said the ministry.

This "isolated" case is the third confirmed in Europe since 2015, and the first in France since April 2004, the ministry said, adding that it has notified the European Commission and the World Health Organization.