KARACHI -- At least 90 people, including 65 children, are believed to have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Pakistan by a doctor using a contaminated syringe, officials said Friday (May 3).
The news might cause turmoil and further distrust of the health sector in Pakistan, where militants have deliberately fanned suspicions of polio vaccinations as un-Islamic.
Authorities were first alerted last week after 18 children from a town on the outskirts of the city tested positive for the virus, which causes AIDS, prompting health officials to carry out wider screenings.
Authorities said they traced the outbreak to a single doctor, who appears to have been using a contaminated syringe on patients.
Officials have since launched an even larger testing and education drive.
