International financial institutions have recently increased their shares of pharmaceutical companies listed in Hong Kong H-share market, and analysts say the reason might be the outbreak of EHEC (enterohaemorrhagic E.coli) in Europe, Shanghai Securities News reported Wednesday.

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Six international financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and Fidelity International Ltd, increased their shares of Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co, the largest manufacturer of antibiotics in China, to 289 million shares. The other two antibiotics manufacturers attracting more investments are Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Co and Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd, according to the data from Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd.

"EHEC germs have caused 22 deaths and infected more than 2,200 people infected since an outbreak in Germany, and infections were also found in the United States and Czech Republic," an analyst told the newspaper.

"The pathological explanation is not clear yet, but antibiotics are one option to treat EHEC (E.coli) despite its drug-resistance," the analyst said.

The three pharmaceutical companies benefiting from the increase in share purchases are at the forefront of antibiotics research in China. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical is taking a lead in a national research initiative on "super bacterium". Hong Kong-based Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings is developing a new anti-platelet drug called Declotana, the newspaper reported.