Two Marshall Islanders died from dengue fever this week at Majuro hospital emphasizing the severity of the outbreak now in its eighth month.

An elementary-aged girl from Arno, a remote atoll about 15 miles from the capital Majuro, and a 67-year-old woman in Majuro are the latest victims bringing the death toll to three since the outbreak started last July on Ebeye Island.

The number of confirmed and suspected cases of dengue fever has risen to over 2,500.