Karachi: In the wake of the recent HIV outbreak in the Sindh Province of Pakistan, with nearly 700 cases registered thus far, an international team of experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has initiated a probe to ascertain the source of the outbreak. The team, which arrived in the country on Tuesday at the request of the Pakistani government, will also provide its expertise in areas of HIV testing, pediatric HIV treatment and family counselling, reports Xinhua.

WHO probes HIV outbreak in Pakistan's Sindh province https://t.co/n5TzsfLGln pic.twitter.com/CdQPmOxaQG

— Ankur Kumar (@ankur_kumar96) June 2, 2019

At the start of one of the biggest outbreak investigations of HIV in children. @OWMorgan is leading. FELTP Pakistan is playing a major role. I will also be joining the field team on the instructions of Federal Minister of Health @zfrmrza and WR Pakistan #pakistan #HIV #outbreak pic.twitter.com/MXLBZPh6dz

— Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar (@jasghar) May 30, 2019

They're coming by dozens': HIV outbreak sparks panic in Pakistan's province sindh

More than 400 people, mostly children, tested HIV-positive due to unsanitary equipment and hospital malpractices.#AidsFreeSindh pic.twitter.com/IcRa4DGw7u

— Umer Hayyat Chughtai (@umerchughtai50) May 29, 2019

A Pakistani doctor screens a child for HIV at a hospital in a village near Ratodero, a small town in southern province of Sindh in Pakistan where the outbreak of deadly disease took place last month, Thursday, May 16, 2019.(AP)#AidsFreeSindh pic.twitter.com/ImfxnASKxz

— Mohammad Rehman u00f0u009fu0087u00b5u00f0u009fu0087u00b0 (@MRehmanKhan777) May 29, 2019

The outbreak has stirred panic among residents of the area. Dr Masood Solangi, Director General Health Sindh, said that nearly 700 people have been diagnosed with HIV in the city of Ratodero, after the screening of around 2500 people in the past few weeks. Among them, 576 are children aged from neonatal to five years old.