Health
Louisiana eight-year-old dies following rare brain-eating amoeba infection
Public health officials believe the child contracted Naegleria fowleri while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
The short version
- An eight-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana, died on Saturday following an infection linked to the microscopic amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
- State health officials reported that the exposure most likely occurred while the patient was swimming in Lake Claiborne.
- Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, an extremely rare and historically 97% fatal brain infection contracted through the nose.
Key facts
- Eight-year-old Lillian Smart died on Saturday at a hospital in Ruston after suffering severe brain injuries from an infection.[Fox News · The Guardian]
- The Louisiana Department of Health announced on August 19 that a resident had been hospitalized with Naegleria fowleri, likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne.[Fox News · The Guardian]
- Smart had been hospitalized since August 15 in the pediatric intensive care unit prior to her death.[Fox News · The Guardian]
- Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when contaminated freshwater enters the nose and travels to the brain; it cannot be contracted by swallowing water.[Fox News · The Guardian]
- Louisiana Department of Health records show three previously confirmed deaths linked to the amoeba in the state since 2011.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The Louisiana Department of Health did not publicly identify Lillian Smart by name in its official case announcements.[Fox News]