8-Year-Old Dies from Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba in Louisiana

Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, died over the weekend after contracting the rare brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

Health officials believe the infection occurred while the child was swimming in Lake Claiborne, located approximately 30 miles northwest of her home.

The Louisiana Department of Health noted that while the infection is nearly always fatal, it is extremely rare, with only three confirmed cases in the state between 1937 and 2025.