A father is asking the United States to step in after his daughter and son-in-law passed away from a mysterious illness. Shortly after Michelle Paul, 35, and David Paul, 37, arrived in Fiji for vacation on May 27, they soon became sick. The couple from Fort Worth, Texas, was hospitalized with vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and profound weakness, reports ABC News. Marc Calanog said that his daughter died on May 25 and that his son-in-law died two days later. Calanog has been in contact with the U.S Embassy in Fiji but he has not received word on the cause of death. He is asking the U.S. government to investigate the deaths.

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ABC News obtained WhatsApp messages between Michelle Paul and her parents as she made her way to a local clinic.

“We have been throwing up for 8 hours,” she wrote. “Dave has diarrhea. My hands are numb. We will text when we can.”

After leaving the hospital, Michelle sent another text message. “We just got back from the clinic,” she wrote. “They gave us fluids and anti-nausea drip. They gave us electrolyte packets and anti-nausea pills. We still don’t feel 100%. Going to rest in our room.”

“Take care,” Michelle’s mother, Juliet Calanog, replied. “Drink a lot of fluid, bottled water. You need rest.”

Marc Calanog said that the two were “perfectly healthy” before they reached Fiji. They dropped off their 2-year-old son with him before they went on their vacation.

ABC News

“They are much in love and they just bought a house in Fort Worth,” he told ABC News. “And they were enjoying it and this tragic thing happened.”

He is asking for the United States CDC to perform an independent investigation into the deaths of his daughter and son-in-law. Fiji finished up their autopsies on the couple but has not told Calanog the results. However, the Fiji Department of Health has agreed to send samples to the U.S. CDC for analysis.

“I gave them instruction not to do any cremation until I’m satisfied … because I would like the whole world to know if they died of infectious diseases,” Calanog said. “The CDC can confirm that and tell Americans and other people that these are the issues you’re going to face if you have to travel to Fiji. Be aware.”

A spokesperson for the CDC, Kristen Nordlund, told ABC News that they are working with Fiji in their investigation.

Five people who had contact with the couple have been hospitalized with similar symptoms. While ten employees of the property the couple was staying at have been placed on leave.

“I assume on the death certificates the reason they died is there, but I’m not confident of getting the information only with Fiji,” Calanog said. “I’d really like to have the U.S., especially the CDC to confirm it because they are the experts.”

For the bodies to be returned to the United States, they have to be hermetically sealed, according to Calanog, because of the possibility they contain an infectious disease.

According to WLWT, the two met five years ago in Hawaii. Michelle Paul worked for the Marriot International, while David Paul worked as an engineer at Lockheed Martin. They are survived by four children, one they had together, and the three others from prior relationships.