Havana: Cuba has confirmed its first case of swine flu after a student who arrived from Mexico tested positive of the disease, health officials said.

The student was among a group of 14 Mexicans studying in Havana who arrived in Cuba on April 25.

The Health Ministry said sanitary agencies in Cuba have tested 84 people from eight nationalities with suspected symptoms and 500 others who came into contact with them.

"We will continue to undertake a rigorous epidemiological study and adopt preventative measures," the ministry said.

Cuba suspended direct flights to Mexico on April 29. On Monday, the World Health Organisation's death toll from the virus passed 50.

In the United States, health officials reported that the 2,600 confirmed cases represented just the tip of the iceberg of actual infections.