Health authorities issued a public health alert on Wednesday following a possibility of hundreds being affected in the case of highly communicable measles. After a tourist who visited Whitsundays tourist hub, a warning was issued when he was diagnosed with the same.

Great Barrier Reef tourism operators have blamed health authorities of scaremongering. Initially, the health officials tried to contact people who must have come in contact with the tourist but failing that health alert came up. Reef tourism contributes about $4 billion annually to the state's economy.

The residents of this area have been asked to respond wisely and be alert whenever they get caught up with symptoms like fever, lethargy, runny nose, a moist cough and sore red eyes.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Peter O'Reilly said, “There was no reason for the health warning because most people had either been immunized for the disease or had had it as a child. They are just scaremongering, they are talking about a disease that every one of us is either immunized against or had as a kid”.

Mayor Mike Bunker said, “The region had enough to deal with during the summer months with potential visitors scared off by the possible threat of a cyclone in the region. A lot of the tourism operators are saying it's a bit of an overreaction. These sorts of things can be damaging for the tourism industry but we're open for business and we're ready to rock and roll”.