8-year-old Louisiana girl dies after suspected brain-eating amoeba infection from lake swim

Eight-year-old Lillian Smart passed away at a Ruston hospital after an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic amoeba that can lead to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. The family said she was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after celebrating her birthday, and they shared a sorrowful message on social media. The Louisiana Department of Health had earlier reported a resident hospitalized with the same pathogen, attributing the exposure to swimming in Lake Claiborne.

Officials have recorded three earlier deaths from the amoeba in the state, occurring in 2011 and 2013. The disease is extremely rare, with a mortality rate of about 97 percent, and typically follows exposure to warm freshwater where the organism enters the nose. The CDC notes that most cases in the United States happen in July and August.