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8-year-old girl dies from brain-eating amoeba in Louisiana
USA Today • • general
Key Points:
- An 8-year-old girl, Lillian Smart, died from an infection caused by the rare brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne, Louisiana.
- The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the case on August 19, noting that Naegleria fowleri infections are almost always fatal and occur when contaminated water enters the nose.
- Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed condolences and called for prayers for the family and community.
- Naegleria fowleri is found in warm freshwater and is not transmitted through swallowing water or person-to-person contact; it is absent in saltwater and properly chlorinated pools.
- The girl's death follows five fatalities in Louisiana from Vibrio vulnificus, a rare flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters, which poses higher risks to individuals with certain medical conditions and is most prevalent from May to October.
