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

An eight-year-old girl named Lillian Smart from Ruston, Louisiana, succumbed to a rare and typically lethal brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri after swimming in Lake Claiborne. Lillian passed away on Saturday, the day after her birthday, her family announced on the "Love for Lillian" Facebook page. Her family expressed their grief, stating that the extent of the brain damage was too severe for her to survive.

Lillian's family and friends are devastated, unsure of how to move forward. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on August 19 that a resident in the state had contracted Naegleria fowleri, and the exposure is believed to have occurred while the person was swimming in Lake Claiborne. Lillian had been hospitalized since August 15.

Naegleria fowleri infections are almost universally fatal, and Lillian had been under medical care since August 15. The amoeba thrives in warm water, particularly in southern states during the summer. Only a handful of cases have been reported in Louisiana since 2011. Naegleria fowleri is most commonly found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds, but it is not present in saltwater or properly maintained, chlorinated swimming pools.

Experts warn that climate change is causing the amoeba to appear in regions where it is not typically found, such as the northern and western parts of the United States. The infection can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a brain infection that occurs when contaminated water enters the nose and the amoeba travels to the brain.

People cannot contract the infection by simply swallowing contaminated water, and it does not spread from person to person.