The first case of "bluetongue" disease has been detected in France, the French Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday. The case was detected in a cow in the Ardennes region in northeast France. The infected cow presented weak symptoms, which are not dangerous to human beings, said the ministry. France has reported the case to the European Commission and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The concerned animal has been put under control. The strain of bluetongue, a virus that is deadly to sheep, isbelieved to come from sub-Saharan Africa, according to the European Commission. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes, congestion, swelling and haemorrhage. Sheep are generally the worst affected, while cattle and goats do not usually show any clinical signs of the disease but can carry the virus for a certain period of time and transmit it to sheep, EU veterinary experts said. The French government has put livestock under surveillance since August 28, when outbreaks of bluetongue were detected in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.