The man was aboard livestock ship Polaris 3 when he jumped ship as the vessel was docked in waters off Townsville.
The ship left Huanghua in China on April 12 and was at sea for 17 days, bound for Australia, when it moored in Townsville on Thursday.
9News understands the man left the port in a white van. He has not been seen since.
The remaining crew on the ship are now demanding to be let off the vessel and granted asylum while authorities search for the border jumper.
Queensland Health confirmed in a statement to 9News it was providing support to “protect the Townsville community” and to “ensure the health of officers from the agencies involved in the vessel’s crew.”
“Crew members are being tested however the risk to the community is low,” a Queensland Health spokesperson said in the statement.
When contacted by 9News, Australian Border Force confirmed the search was still underway but declined to comment further.
This content first appear on 9news