The alleged death toll of a hazardous antibiotic injection rose to six yesterday, after two elderly people in Hunan and Sichuan provinces were identified as victims of the drug.

A health worker seals bottles of potentially hazardous clindamycin phosphate glucose in Loudi, Hunan Province. More than 1,300 bottles were impounded by local health authorities yesterday. [China Daily]

Chen Dexiang, 74, a teacher in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, went to hospital because of a cold on August 2, reported local newspaper the Xiaoxiang Morning Post.

The hospital prescribed five drugs including an injection of clindamycin phosphate glucose produced by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co, which was the only treatment Chen received on the day.

Chen began to tremble and his temperature rose drastically as he received the injection. He was rushed to the People's Hospital of Zhangjiajie where he died three hours later.

Chen's relatives became convinced his death was caused by the injection after they heard about its other possible victims through media reports.

Meanwhile, relatives of senior citizen Hu Qingxiu, of Anyue County in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, said she died after being treated with two bottles of the drug after breaking a bone.

The relatives said Hu suffered chest and abdominal pains after the injection on July 20 and later died.

More deaths and cases of adverse reactions linked to the injection have emerged as an investigation continues into the drug.

The injection was banned by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on August 4 and a nationwide recall is in progress.

The previous four deaths were in Heilongjiang, Hebei, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces.

SFDA spokesman Zhang Jixiang yesterday refuted media reports about a possible cover-up by the Anhui Provincial Food and Drug Administration.

Zhang said the Anhui authorities' announcement of the recall of the hazardous drug was timely and there is a strict procedure to follow in dealing with reports of adverse reactions.

The Anhui company has stopped production, though no direct charges have been levelled at the firm for now. The company said it has sold 3.18 million units of the injection to 26 provinces, autonomous region and municipalities, of which only 1.4 million have been recalled so far.

On Monday the Ministry of Health released guidance notes which describe the possible symptoms of an adverse reaction to the injection and how to cope with the reaction.

[Related news] Guangdong recalled 52,800 bottles of antibiotic injection

Yesterday (Aug. 7th), Guangdong Food and Drug Administration told media that the province had recalled 52,800 of clindamycin phosphate glucose injection, which had killed 3 people in China.

The administration had issued a circular ordering all the hospitals, drug selling organizations and shops to suspend the antibiotic injection, which was produced by a pharmaceutical in east China's Anhui Province since June. And the administration also asked all the medical monitoring units of the province to report local cases of severe reactions in recipients of the antibiotic.

Antibiotic injection kills 3, 78 others affected

Three people have now died, while 78 more are struggling with symptoms ranging from chest pain to anaphylactic shock, after receiving a hazardous antibiotic injection.

On Saturday the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said the sufferers who had all being injected with clindamycin phosphate glucose were now spread across 10 provinces.

 The injection, an antibiotic used to treat infections, is produced by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co, a subsidiary of the Shanghai Worldbest Co Ltd, in East China's Anhui Province. >>>Details

More antibiotic injection recalled after 3 deaths

More antibiotic injection produced by a pharmaceutical in east China's Anhui Province have been recalled as it is suspected to have killed three people, sources with the Anhui Provincial Food and Drug Bureau said on Sunday. >>>Details

Editor: Donald