Louisiana girl, 8, dies from rare brain-eating amoeba that thrives in freshwater

An 8-year-old girl from Louisiana, Lillian Smart, has tragically passed away due to an extremely rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, her family revealed. The amoeba thrives in warm freshwater, which has been prevalent in the Gulf South due to high heat and low water levels. Lillian contracted the infection after swimming in Lake Claiborne in north Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the state's first case of Naegleria fowleri since 2013. Health authorities note that the amoeba can enter the brain through the nose, leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a fatal condition with an 100% fatality rate. The infection cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

There have been only about 180 confirmed infections in the U.S. since 1937, most of which occur during the summer months in the southern part of the country.