Taiwan on Monday was investigating the island's first case of locally transmitted malaria since the sickness was eradicated here 38 years ago.

The reappearance of the illness has alarmed officials because the patient _ a 57-year-old sanitation worker in southern Taiwan _ has never traveled abroad, the Health Department said. The man became sick last week.

Department official Shih Wen-yi told reporters he doubted that the original source of the malaria case was in Taiwan.

Shih said the patient, identified only by his surname, Lin, might have caught malaria from a neighbor in Taima Township. The neighbor recently got the disease while working in the Solomon Islands, where malaria is widespread.

``We know that they lived very close to each other,'' Shih said.

Malaria, which causes chills, fever and weakness, is caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitos.

The illness kills more than 1 million people worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization.

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