Louisiana girl, 8, dies after contracting suspected brain-eating amoeba linked to lake swim

Key Points:

• Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old girl from northern Louisiana, died from a brain infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, believed to have been contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
• The Louisiana Department of Health had announced a hospitalization due to Naegleria fowleri infection but did not publicly identify Lillian; her family confirmed her diagnosis and death on social media.
• Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and often fatal brain infection that occurs when contaminated water enters the nose; about 97% of PAM cases result in death.
• The amoeba is typically found in warm freshwater environments during summer months and is not present in saltwater or properly chlorinated pools; symptoms develop within about five days and can lead to death within one to two weeks.
• Since 2011, Louisiana has recorded three other deaths linked to Naegleria fowleri infections, highlighting the ongoing risk posed by contaminated freshwater sources in the state.