8-year-old Louisiana girl dies from a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater

An 8-year-old girl from Louisiana has tragically passed away due to an infection caused by an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, according to her family. The amoeba, which thrives in warm freshwater bodies across the U.S., can enter the brain by traveling up the nose after contact with contaminated water.

Health authorities report that Lillian Smart succumbed to the infection over the weekend after being diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a fatal condition that almost always results in death. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that this marks the first case of Naegleria fowleri in the state since 2013. Lillian's parents expressed their heartbreak, stating that the injuries to her brain were too severe for her body to recover.

The infection is not contagious and can only occur when water carrying the amoeba enters the nose, leading to a dangerous infection in the brain. The amoeba is primarily found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds throughout the U.S., with cases typically appearing during the summer months in the southern states.