8-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba

A Rare and Devastating Loss in Louisiana

An 8-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting a rare and nearly always fatal brain-eating amoeba from warm freshwater, according to her family and public health officials.

Lillian Smart died over the weekend following a diagnosis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, stated Kyle Roberts, a spokesperson for the family.

“Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus,” her parents, Daniel and Rebecca Smart, wrote Sunday in a public Facebook post. “The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from. Everyone did everything they could to keep her here.”

Public Health Response and State History

The Louisiana Department of Health stated last week that the tragedy marks the state’s first confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection since 2013, according to agency spokesperson Stacey Grow. While the department does not comment on individual patients, health officials noted that the infection was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne in north Louisiana.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X that he is heartbroken over the news of Lillian’s passing.

How the Amoeba Attacks

Naegleria fowleri is naturally found in warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds across the United States. Health authorities explain that the amoeba thrives in water staying above 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).

Infection occurs when water carrying the amoeba travels up the nose and into the brain, where it causes an infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

Health agencies emphasize that the infection cannot spread from person to person. There is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water.

Tracing Statistics and Geographic Shifts

Infections remain exceptionally rare in the United States, averaging fewer than 10 cases annually. Historical figures from the Louisiana Department of Health show that between 1937 and 2025, approximately 180 confirmed infections have been documented nationwide.

Despite the low frequency, the disease carries an overwhelmingly high mortality rate. Health authorities classify primary amoebic meningoencephalitis as nearly always fatal.

While for years seen almost exclusively in the summer in the southern part of the country, scientists have observed a few recent cases appearing in states such as Maryland, Indiana, and Minnesota. Last year, a 12-year-old boy in South Carolina died from an infection caused by the amoeba.