Health officials in Denmark, France and Italy began recalling stores of the blood-thinning drug heparin and any ingredients used in it that had originated in China, as a precautionary measure. In the United States, certain batches of the drug have been linked to 19 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions. The lots were manufactured by Baxter International and used ingredients from China; investigators discovered that the faulty batches contained a contaminant. Baxter has recalled virtually all its heparin products. In Germany, heparin made by Rotexmedica from Chinese raw materials is believed to be the cause of more than 80 cases of allergic reactions. There have been no reactions reported in Denmark, France or Italy, according to the European Medicines Agency.