8-year-old Louisiana girl dies from a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana, Lillian Smart, has died from an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater. The infection, likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne, leads to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a nearly always fatal condition.
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Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare, with only about 180 cases identified in the US since 1937.
Between 1937 and 2025, there have been approximately 180 confirmed infections of Naegleria fowleri in the U.S.
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana died from an infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
Naegleria fowleri is a rare amoeba found in warm freshwater that can cause a nearly always fatal infection when it enters the nose.
An eight-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting a rare, typically fatal brain-eating amoeba after a swim in Lake Claiborne.
The amoeba flourishes in warm water and is most commonly found in southern states during the summer.