Influenza excluded as cause of death for couple on holiday in Fiji



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  • TRACEY CALANOG VIA PRESS ASSOCIAE / 2016

    Michelle Paul and David Paul, with their dog Zooey, during a visit to Hawaii in 2016. The Texas couple died while he was on vacation in Fiji. Health officials in Fiji said they still did not know why a Texas couple had died on vacation on the island, but that the flu had been ruled out as a potential cause.

FORT WORTH, Texas >> Health officials in Fiji said they have yet to find an answer to why a Texan couple died while on vacation on the island but this flu was dismissed as a potential cause.

Fiji's Ministry of Health and Medical Services said in a statement on Wednesday that the investigation was continuing into the deaths of David Paul, 38, and Michelle Paul, 35. The couple died less than two days after falling ill with an unknown disease.

Michelle Paul's father, Marc Calanog, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram this week that the couple had met five years ago in Hawaii and enjoyed beaches and snorkeling. He said the couple planned to travel to Fiji from May 19-27, as family members could watch their two young children.

Calanog said she received a text message from Michelle on May 24: "We are both going to the doctor. We have been vomiting for eight hours. David also has diarrhea. My hands are numb. "

He said he received an appeal on May 25 to announce the death of Michelle and the death of David Paul two days later.

"I did not think it was so serious," Calanog told the newspaper. "I was stunned. I almost cried, but I did not cry because I held back my emotions. … I would say that I was shocked emotionally.

David Paul, a veteran of the Air Force, worked as an engineer at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, said a spokesman for the company. Michelle Paul worked for Marriott International, according to the company.

The ministry in Fiji said the staff and health workers who were in contact with the couple are being monitored as a precaution, but that all is well for the moment. The ministry said it also worked with the local police, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the cause of death.

"It would be premature to speculate further on the cause of death until the investigation is over," the statement said.

The CDC announced Wednesday that they were working with the Fiji government to investigate, which would include sample testing in the CDC labs.

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