P&O cruise ship evacuated 40-year-old passenger from Sydney after suspecting that he was suffering from meningococcal infection. But later on, Queensland Health officials told that the man was fine and had no such infection.

Queensland Health Department Spokesperson said that the suspected man has undergone different tests and the test results revealed that he was not having infection.

Those people who were in close proximity with the man were also given antibiotics. The crew members and the ship’s medical staff also received antibiotics.

When the evacuation incident took place, the ship was travelling from Sydney to New Caledonia at about 110 km east of the Gold Coast.

It is apposite to note that similar outbreak occurred in another P&O ship, called the Pacific Sky in January 2002.

In that incident, a 21-year-old passenger named Lorenzo Lombardo died from meningococcal infection six days after he left the cruise ship.

Due to the emergency evacuation, the ship will miss its first stoppage at Emerald Bay, New Caledonia.

It is reported that around 10% people die from meningococcal disease every year. But the number of meningococcal cases has decreased significantly in the last 10 years, owing to the meningococcal C vaccination program.

Pacific Sun is slated to return to Sydney after completing its eight-night cruise journey.