Louisiana Girl, 8, Dies After Suspected Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection
Eight-year-old Lillian Smart died Saturday, August 22, 2026, at a Ruston, Louisiana, hospital after a suspected brain-eating amoeba infection linked to a recent lake swim.[1]
The Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday that the infection was most likely acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne.[1]
Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when contaminated freshwater enters the nose, and about 97% of known U.S. cases are fatal, the CDC figures cited in the report show.[1]
Louisiana health records list three prior Naegleria fowleri-associated deaths in the state since 2011, including two adults infected after using tap water for sinus rinses and a 4-year-old who was infected via a slip-and-slide.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Lillian Smart, age 8, died Saturday, August 22, 2026, at a Ruston, Louisiana hospital after a suspected Naegleria fowleri infection.
- The Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday that a resident’s Naegleria fowleri infection was most likely acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
- Louisiana health records list three prior Naegleria fowleri-associated deaths in the state since 2011, including two adults using tap water for sinus rinses and a 4-year-old infected via a slip-and-slide.
- Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when contaminated freshwater enters the nose, and about 97% of known U.S. cases are fatal, according to CDC data cited in the article.
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