Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province launched an investigation Thursday into a herbal injection that was suspected to have caused one death.

A task force composed of the Heilongiang food and drug administrative bureau and its local bureaus confiscated parts of two batches of the product called Shuanghuanglian, made by the Jiamusi factory of the Wusuli River Pharmacy. The batch numbers were 0809028 and 0809030, said Li Jun, spokesman for the provincial bureau.

Samples will be sent to the provincial lab and inspectors will conduct a thorough check of the quantity, sales locations and production process of the medicine, Li said.

A notice was issued ordering hospitals at all levels in Heilongjiang to stop using the medicine with the specified batch numbers.

No further adverse reactions have so far been reported.

Three people developed fever and difficulty breathing after using the injection Monday and Tuesday in the Datong Hui and Tujia Autonomous County of northwestern Qinghai Province. One of those was a 62-year-old woman who died in a hospital.

The other two still have life-threatening symptoms.

The Ministry of Health and the State Food and Drug Administration urged all hospitals and drug stores to suspend the use and sales of the product, while closely monitoring any possible adverse reactions.

According to Wusuli's website, Shuanghuanglian injections should be used to treat fever and coughs caused by colds.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2009)