An 8‑year‑old girl in Louisiana died after being infected with Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain‑eating amoeba, her family announced on Aug. 23. Lilian Smart passed away on Aug. 22, the day after celebrating her eighth birthday.
Her family posted on a Facebook page that Lilian developed severe brain swelling from the amoeba and that she ‘ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus’ before succumbing to the injuries.
The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on Aug. 19 that a resident had been infected with Naegleria fowleri after swimming in Lake Claiborne, though it did not identify the resident.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted on X, urging prayers for the Smart family and the Ruston community.
Rare Infection Risk
Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals and ponds across the United States, surviving up to 115°F.
The department said there is no routine environmental test for the amoeba and that infection occurs when contaminated water forces the organism up the nose into the brain.
Symptoms such as severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma appear about five days after exposure and can be fatal.
Only 180 cases have been reported in the U.S. from 1937 through 2025, including three in Louisiana.
Health officials advise swimmers to keep heads above water, use nose clips and avoid submerging in hot springs or untreated thermal water during extreme heat.
The department warned that the infection is extremely rare but nearly always fatal, urging all recreational water users to assume risk when entering warm fresh water.
