The city of Brownsville ranked second in the most positive hookworm cases in the nation.

According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, a nonprofit made up of veterinarians and researchers, the number of hookworm cases across the nation has gone up 47% in the last eight years.

Doctor Craig Prior, a council board member, says hookworms can live anywhere but they survive the longest in warm moist conditions.

The hookworm is very common in dogs and cats – they can have lasting effects and even be deadly for puppies and kittens.

For more information watch the video above.