MINSK, August 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Belarusian Health Ministry has registered the first case of swine flu in the country, BELTA news agency reported on Wednesday.

The country's chief sanitary official, Valentina Kachan, told journalists that a Chinese student at Belarus State University, who returned last week from a vacation in China with his wife, fell ill on Friday. She said he is in stable condition.

The 37 people who have been in close contact with the student, including his wife, showed no signs of the virus.

"We are monitoring the situation and are doing everything possible to stop the spread of the virus," Kachan said.

According to the latest figures, Russia has 180 officially confirmed swine flu cases. The World Health Organization's latest report said there have been over 219,000 cases and about 1,900 deaths worldwide.