Eight-year-old dies after contracting rare brain-eating amoeba in Louisiana

Lillian Smart, an eight-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana, passed away on Saturday after contracting a deadly brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. The infection likely occurred when she swam in Lake Claiborne on the day of her birthday. Her family announced her passing on a public Facebook post, expressing their heartbreak and disbelief at the severe damage to her brain.

Lillian's family stated that all possible efforts were made to keep her alive, but the injuries were too extensive for her little body to overcome. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the infection on August 19 and traced it back to exposure in Lake Claiborne, Claiborne Parish. Lillian received hospital care since August 15.

Naegleria fowleri infections are almost invariably fatal, and Lillian had been hospitalized throughout her ordeal. In the days following her diagnosis, over two dozen businesses in Ruston showed solidarity with the Smart family by donating a portion of their sales to their cause. Naegleria fowleri infections are exceedingly rare, with only a handful reported in Louisiana since 2011.

The amoeba thrives in warm water, predominantly found in southern states during summer months. Only about 180 cases have been identified in the US since 1937, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2023, another Arkansas child also succumbed to Naegleria fowleri after contracting it from a country club splash pad in Little Rock. The amoeba can be found in warm freshwater across the country, including lakes, rivers, and ponds. It's not present in salt water or properly chlorinated swimming pools. Experts warn that the climate crisis is enabling the amoeba to appear in parts of the US where it's not typically found, such as the north and west.

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, can develop when contaminated water enters the nose and the amoeba travels to the brain. It's crucial to note that people cannot contract the infection by merely swallowing water containing Naegleria fowleri, and the infection doesn't spread from one person to another.