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Girl, 8, dies after suspected brain-eating amoeba infection from lake swim
Fox News • • general
Key Points:
- Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old girl from northern Louisiana, died from a brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, believed to have been contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
- The Louisiana Department of Health reported a hospitalization due to this rare infection, which is typically fatal and occurs when contaminated water enters the nose.
- Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain infection with a 97% fatality rate, with symptoms appearing about five days after exposure.
- The amoeba is not found in saltwater or properly chlorinated pools, and infection cannot occur from swallowing contaminated water.
- Since 2011, Louisiana has recorded three previous deaths from Naegleria fowleri, highlighting the ongoing risk in certain freshwater environments during summer months.
