KARACHI: Around 90 people, including 65 children, are believed to have been infected with the HIV virus in Pakistan by a doctor using a contaminated syringe.

Kamran Nawaz, the local police chief heading the case in Pakistan’s southern city of Larkana stated that they arrested a doctor after receiving complaints from the health authorities.

He stated that they have been told that the doctor also has HIV. Authorities were first alerted last week when 18 children from a town on the outskirts of the city tested positive for the virus. This prompted wider screenings and dozens of more infections were found.

Dr Abdul Rehaman, a district health official in Larkana, said that over 90 people have tested positive with around 65 children. A second official also confirmed the outbreak, but provided slightly different figures.

Authorities said that they had traced the outbreak to a single doctor, who seems to have been using a contaminated syringe on patients. Azra Pechuho, Sindh province health minister, confirmed the arrest. Pechuho stated that the blood of the parents of the infected children was also tested, but their results were negative.

Officials have launched a larger testing and education drive now.