PARIS -- France has detected a case of highly contagious H5N8 bird flu on a duck farm in the southwest of the country, the agriculture ministry confirmed Friday.

This is the first outbreak of the virus on a farm in the European Union’s biggest poultry breeder since a case of H5N8 was confirmed among wild ducks in Normandy last week, the ministry said.

The virus killed 2,000 out of a flock of 5,000 ducks on a farm in the Tarn region, and the remaining birds were to be culled, the Reuters news agency reported.

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France was one day away from attempting to reclaim its international status as free of highly pathogenic avian flu, according to Reuters. The latest case means a ban remains in place preventing France from exporting poultry or foie gras beyond Europe.

Earlier this year, a severe bird flu epidemic in the southwest of the country led to import restrictions from trading partners and a 25% drop in duck and geese output from France’s foie gras-producing region. Foie gras is a traditional holiday staple in France, and the industry had warned of shortages and soaring prices over the festive season.