UPDATE: nurse who treated young parents who died in Fiji breaks her silence

UPDATE:

A nurse who treated the US tourists, David and Michelle Paul, who died from a mystery illness while on holiday in Fiji has said the couple was given a normal saline drip at a medical centre before their deaths.

“They had symptoms similar to fever such as vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness and they were treated and wanted to go back to where they stayed,” she told The Fiji Sun.

After being put on the drip, they were taken back to their hotel at noon. But at 5.30pm Mrs Paul was brought back to the centre after collapsing - but had died by the time she arrived, Nine News reports.

Her husband was taken to another hospital, at Lautoka, ‘in shock,’ the paper said and was transferred to ICU. He died three days later.

The nurse, and four other people who came in contact with the couple have all been treated in hospital with similar symptoms.

Warnings remain in place for Meningococcal disease, after an outbreak was declared over a year ago.

Dengue and Zika virus are also active in the country, with infectious diseases including typhoid, hepatitis, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, measles and mumps also common, says DTAT.

It is still not known what disease the couple died from, however the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention is also now involved, according to ABC USA.

EARLIER:

Two US tourists are dead and five people they had contact with are in hospital from a mystery illness in Fiji.

Texas couple David James Paul, 35, and his wife Michelle, 32, died in Nadi from an as-yet undetermined illness last month, Nine News reports.

Mrs Paul died first, and medical staff were planning on rushing Mr Paul to a hospital in Australia.

Tragically, he died before he could be transferred.

A woman posting on a Mums Facebook group warned: “For everyone heading to Fiji, please note that there is a deadly contagious outbreak in Nadi and Denarau at the moment.”

“My 32 year old cousin died of meningococcal 2 weeks ago. An American couple died around the same time and at least 10 people are in isolation in various hospitals.”

Two security guards, two medical staff and a police officer are currently under observation after showing similar symptoms, according to the Fiji Sun.

Ten staff members from the property the couple had been staying at have been told to go on leave with pay.

The couple’s remains will not be transported back to the US until a cause of death has been determined.

Mr and Mrs Paul have a two-year-old who is in the care of relatives, and Mr Paul has a daughter from a previous relationship.