Mexico has reported a 53 percent increase in cases of flesh-eating screwworm in animals over the past month, as the parasite continues its northward trajectory towards the United States border, according to government data.

Mexican government data indicate that there were 5,086 cases as of August 17, including 649 active ones, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing updated data not yet made public.

The parasite has been found primarily in cattle, as well as in horses, sheep, and dogs, the news outlet said.

There have also been dozens of human infections.

Mexico has confirmed 41 human cases over the past year, primarily in the state of Chiapas, according to Mexican media. The first human case was confirmed in the US state of Maryland on August 4 in a patient who had trav

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