Mysql not giving Syntax error when it should

I am trying with following query

SELECT COU开发者_如何学编程NT(*) 
  FROM users` 
  WHERE email = 'xyz@xyz.com'

This is not giving me syntax error (notice not include ` character at the starting of table name). And always gives me count as 1, although record in not there in db.

I will get the error if i remove COUNT from the query.

Hope this is not a bug in mysql.

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The backtick seems to be commenting out the rest of the line.

I can't say why but I have tested it (through phpMyAdmin) and that it the case.