Texas young couple dies after contracting unidentified illness in Fiji - infectious disease ruled out - toxicology pending

[Pathfinder]

PRESS RELEASE

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES INVESTIGATION UPDATE.

JUNE 20, 2019 SUNIL CHANDRA

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MOHMS) is providing an update regarding the tragic deaths of two United States citizens who arrived in Fiji on Wednesday the 22nd of May.

Following an extensive, multi-organisational investigation, the Fijian Government has informed the family that an infectious cause of death has officially been ruled out. To reach this conclusion, a number of investigations were conducted by the Ministry and its multinational partners, including post-mortem examinations, toxicology, microscopic examination of tissues, and a number of laboratory investigations to exclude a wide range of viral and bacterial causes. Through continued collaboration with the United States’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), further tests are being conducted to determine a cause of death, and family will be updated as further developments unfold.

Given these findings, the MOHMS is confident that there is no risk to the public. The five contacts/staff placed under precautionary observation are in good health and have all returned to work.

On behalf of the Minister, the Fijian Government, and the people of Fiji, the Ministry wishes to once again express its deepest condolences to the family for their tragic and heart-breaking loss.

The Ministry also wishes to thank the organizations involved in the investigation for their comprehensive support and assistance: the aforementioned CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), WHO’s partners the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) and Collaborating Centre, the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), the Fiji Police Force’s forensics department, and the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For reasons of patient confidentiality, and out of respect to the families of the deceased, the Ministry and its partners involved in the investigation will not comment further on details of the case at this time.

—-END—-

https://www.health.gov.fj/?cat=12

 

[alert]

And with that, I have edited the threat title to remove the phrase "mystery virus" from this thread as it appears that an infectious cause for these illnesses is now ruled out.

There's a good chance now that even if a cause is determined and told to the relatives of the victims, we may not be able to pick it up in the media.

 

[Emily]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international...robe-into-us-couple-s-death-focusing-on-toxin

[h=1]Probe into US couple's death focusing on toxin[/h] 6:58 pm on 24 June 2019
... Michelle's father Marc Canalog told the Fiji Times he was informed by officials from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that investigators were focusing on the toxic chemical paraquat.
Paraquat is a herbicide widely used in Fiji....

Fish contamination could be suspected:

https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/06/04/btl-4th-june-2019/

by selita bolanavanua, suva
04 Jun 2019 12:33
...

[h=4]Paraquat in fishing?[/h] Traditionally, some coastal iTaukei used the root of a plant called ?duva? to catch reef fish. It is pounded on the reef and when mixed with water it produces a milky solution which is lethal particularly for small fish.
The bigger fish get drunk and are easily caught. This kind of fishing is banned because small fish die.
Now some fishers in the upper riches of the Naitasiri rivers are allegedly using the weed killer to catch freshwater fish and prawns.
It has reportedly caused a decline in the local stocks and a health scare.
Paraquat in freshwater fish and prawns is more dangerous than ?duva? in reef fish...

I thought phosphine would be suspected in these deaths due to the pattern of the two victims sequentially improving in the hospital but then worsening and dying when they returned to the hotel room.

 

[Pathfinder]

Homefeatured news Aug 2, 2019 by Bev Llorente -

REMAINS OF LAS VEGAS FILIPINA WHO MYSTERIOUSLY DIED IN FIJI WITH HER HUSBAND FINALLY RETURNED TO LOVED ONES

LAS VEGAS ? The long wait is over for the family and loved ones of 35-year old Pinay, Michelle Calanog Paul. They?ve been waiting for her remains to be brought back from Fiji to the U.S. for over two months now.
...
?The report was they just reconfirm what the issue was: that infectious disease was ruled out and then the Australian agency who tested it for toxicology, they didn?t find any evidence of poisoning, they eliminated the paraquat I think. So they ruled that out. They rule out the food poisoning, they found some muffins beverages, slice of pizza ? the FDA checked it, there?s nothing there.?

Marc Calanog added that although the CDC and the Australian agency of toxicology have ruled out food poisoning and infectious disease as the cause of death, the findings of Dover base is still ?inconclusive?.

This means that the U.S. government agency continues on with their investigation.
...
The couple?s bodies will be cremated and buried together in vegas.

https://balitangamerica.tv/remains-...h-her-husband-finally-returned-to-loved-ones/