Chinese health authorities have recalled and banned the use of an injection antibiotic that is suspected of killing a six-year-old girl who was being treated for a common cold.

More than 1.02 million bottles of the drug have been recalled or sealed in east China's Anhui province.

The batch of the drug, known as clindamycin phosphate glucose injection, was made in June and July, said sources from the Anhui Provincial Food and Drug Bureau.

The Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co., a subsidiary of the Shanghai Worldbest Co. Ltd., produced 3.68 million bottles of the injection in the batch.

By Thursday, the company, based in Fuyang city, had recalled 539,000 bottles and the 485,000 more bottles had been sealed.

The Ministry of Health late on Thursday issued an urgent circular ordering the suspension of the drug's use.

The dead girl, identified as Liu Sichen from Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, reportedly had an intravenous injection of the clindamycin phosphate made by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co. at about 2:00 p.m. on July 24, said Sun Pengli, director of the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Center of Harbin, on Friday.

The girl, who was being treated for a common cold, became seriously ill with a high fever within 20 minutes of the injection by a trained nurse at her home. She was transferred to two hospitals for emergency treatment, but was declared dead on July 27.

Patients from provinces and regions including Qinghai, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and Shandong have complained of chest discomfort, kidney pain, stomach ache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and even anaphylactic shock after having injections of the clindamycin phosphate glucose produced by the Anhui company.

Sources from Penglai City, Shandong Province, and Heilongjiang and Qinghai provinces said at least 21 people became ill after receiving intravenous injections of the drug, and nine were still receiving intensive care treatment in hospital.

Food and drug authorities in Shandong and Qinghai provinces have banned the sale and use of the medicine. Food and drug officials in Heilongjiang collected samples of the injection and sent them for testing with the provincial pharmaceuticals testing laboratory.

The Ministry of Health ordered all batches of clindamycin phosphate glucose injections produced in the past two months by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co. to be suspended from use immediately.

Fake or contaminated drugs have killed dozens of people in China in recent years and raised questions about pharmaceutical safety.

The Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. was fined 16.82 million yuan (2.1 million U.S. dollars) and had its licence revoked after a contaminated drug for gastric disorders killed 11 people.

The Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co., has been told by the Anhui Provincial Food and Drug Bureau to halt production and to cooperate with an investigation by the health authorities.

A spokesman for the Anhui provincial food and drug bureau said officials had moved into the company premises to investigate.

"Production cannot be resumed until the investigation is complete," said the spokesman, who added the bureau ordered a province-wide inspection of all major pharmaceutical enterprises.

Clindamycin phosphate glucose is mainly used to treat bacterial infections. Its side effects can include gastrointestinal problems, along with anaphylactic reactions and liver and kidney pain.

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